


The Battlefield Stories of a Gray Jedi

by classic_cut_kyber



Series: Obi-Wan and the Gray Jedi Order [2]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-21
Updated: 2019-10-30
Packaged: 2020-07-09 19:40:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 59,393
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19893244
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/classic_cut_kyber/pseuds/classic_cut_kyber
Summary: Follow Gray Jedi Consult Cordelia as she navigates the waning months of the Clone Wars. Watch as she gets to work besides famous Jedi such as Mace Windu, Anakin Skywalker and everyone's favorite, Obi-Wan Kenobi. Read along as she visits multiple planets throughout her time, some popular, some old, and some that are brand new to the galaxy. There will be clones, battle droids, mysteries, and of course, lightsaber battles. Stay tuned!The Infiltration of VardosThe Hunt on KashyyykStranded on CanarathInvestigation on IveriaThe Interlude





	1. The Infiltration of Vardos Pt. 1

"We must act now General, if we wish to keep the upper hand." Clone Commander Stak told Republic General and Jedi Council Member, Mace Windu as the day turned into a misty dusk. The general did not reply. He kept staring at the holographic map that displayed the Velcana Ridge on the planet of Vardos. It would flicker occasionally before coming back into focus. Windu had his arms crossed, going over the same three possible attack methods in his head. The fact that not only Separatists have reportedly been seen coming to and from a cave in the southeast section of the ridge, but that Dooku himself has been seen there a number of times, was extremely concerning for the Republic. Vardos was a neutral system and, as a major piece of the Jinata System, was quite close to Coruscant. That could mean invasion and that was the last thing the Republic needed right now. They were still recovering from Kamino. 

If the Inspector General of the Jinata Security Bureau, Garrick Versio, was to be believed, the government didn't have anything to do with Dooku's presence here. Apparently, they didn't even know he was here. Windu wasn't sure if this was true or not. If it was though, this could be the perfect time to sway the people of Vardos to the Republic after many years of declined offers to join the Senate. Not to mention that having a base here would certainly help protect the capital.

Regardless though, they still weren't sure why Dooku was here on Vardos in the first place. Perhaps it was a sabotage operation, interrupting shipments to the shipyard on the nearby planet of Xa Fel? That's where all the Republic star destroyers were pieced together. But wouldn't they have heard if something like that was happening? He had sent Commander Tacks and a squadron of clones to do a thorough inspection of the shipyard. So far, nothing has been out of the ordinary. There was nothing special on Pillio, Athulla, or any other planets in the system. No, it had to be something here on Vardos. What could he want though? There weren't enough droids here for a planet wide invasion. Maybe they just wanted to take Kestro? 

"Sir?" Stak said, pulling Windu out of his thoughts. He mulled it over once more before making his decision. He looked up for the first time in minutes, his neck happily obliging at the relief of tension. He squinted against the sun that was lowering below the horizon.

"We will use the rocks." he said finally, the stone structures barely visible against the blinding light. "We will draw them out and lead them down the ridge to about here." Windu said, his finger grazing a spot on the map. The section turned red as he pulled his hand away.

"We will set clones up behind the boulders," he explained, the boulders turning yellow. "And attack them from above." "As they say, those with the high ground have more room to fly." the Commander replied. "And farther to fall." Windu finished.

Once the sun had fully disappeared, turning the clouds from white and airy to dark and menacing, Windu and his platoon set out. The stars overhead were dulled from the light of Kestro, the capital city, which was a few clicks to the east. Sometimes Windu could spot it through a break in the trees.

They marched through the unfamiliar flora soundlessly. This was Windu's first time on Vardos. He had heard stories though, of the beautiful architecture of Kestro. The strange fauna of flying creatures, its unique flowers and rock formations. It was ranked number eight on the galaxy's most beautiful planets, with Ithor taking first as usual and Naboo second. He understood why now. They were marching along the cliffside under a canopy of leaves. The trees up above were wispy, with long vines draping down towards the ground. Deep purple flowers with a strong fragrance bloomed from the stems. The grass was a greenish-blue color and was soft and silky. Even the rocks had a pinkish tinge to them and seemed to be buffed to a low shine.

Windu started, along with a number of clones, as movement caught his eye high above. It was only a winged creature, one Windu recognized as a Vardosian Firebird. In the light of the three moons, its tail glinted red and orange. It had a wide wingspan which sent a large shadow gliding along the canyon floor. According to Vardosian legend (Mace had studied up on the planet before his mission), the creature was believed to be immortal. Whether or not that was true, Windu wasn't sure, but he did know for a fact that it was Force-Sensitive. There were numerous documentations by researchers and journalists and if that wasn't enough to convince him, the connection he immediately felt with the creature sealed the deal.

The Firebird dove down towards the rocky canyon floor. It looked Windu directly in the eye as it did so. It gave a beautiful cry as it pulled up and flew off out of view. It was only then that Mace realized the convoy had stopped moving. He shook himself out of the daze he was in and brusquely moved his troops forward. It was not like him to get so easily distracted. He had a feeling that the Vardosian Firebird had something to do with it. The second he laid eyes on it, it was like he was in a dream.

Windu was immediately on edge again as Stak stopped in front of him. He motioned silence with his hand. Windu's ear were primed, listening intently for anything out of the ordinary. The brush of foliage, that snap of a twig, the breeze of a speeder, something. There was nothing and then... something. It was soft and low, barely audible above the sweet smelling breeze. It was the chatter of a reconnaissance droid doing perimeter sweeps.

Blast it. Windu thought to himself. He flicked his fingers downwards and all of his men ducked low beneath the knee high grass line. If he destroyed the droid, it wouldn't show up for its rendezvous and that could tip them off. So their best chance would be for the droid to pass by without seeing them, Force willing.

The strange digital speech of the droid got closer and closer. After a long few minutes, the general caught sight of its red sensors cutting through the blackness of the night. The scarlet lights swiveled back and forth, like the eyes of a dark, evil creature. It moved left again, then right again, and back. It focused straight ahead, staring at something on the opposite side of the canyon. It scanned the area for an excruciatingly long few seconds before it turned its sensors one hundred and eighty degrees and hovered off in the opposite direction. They stayed for a moment longer before stirring.

"Phew, that was close." All of the Republic soldiers, Windu included, jumped at the sound, aiming all of their weapons at the voice. A moment later, up popped the head of Cordelia.

"Fire Fang." Stak stated, relaxing. The clones had picked up on the nickname since she had joined the war effort.

"Wussup?" she joked. Windu sighed irritably. "I need you to stay focused, Consult." he chided. "Sorry." she said sheepishly. "I checked out the road ahead. No sentries or mines or anything of the like that I detected." she said, all joking aside. "We should have a straight shot to the cave." she explained. "Good. I'm ready to say hello to the Count." 

\---

Windu held his hand up, waiting. Everyone was in place. His eyes met Cordelia's. She was down below on the canyon floor with a squadron of clones, ready to draw the Separatists out of their hidey hole. He clenched his fingers into a fist. She nodded and signaled to her squad.

Mace was impressed with the Gray, whether he wanted to admit it or not. He had been very hesitant about letting her join the war effort at all, but they came to a good few compromises. One, she had to go through military training, which she was excelling at. She was still clinging onto her former training, so leading was a lingering difficulty for her, but Windu had a feeling she would get past that in time. She would advise and come up with plans, but Cordelia much preferred to have someone tell her what to do. The second, which she had a tendency to get grumpy about, was that she was to be with a Jedi General on every mission. No solos, no leading troops, unless it was an emergency of course. 

Cordelia wasn't the first Gray Jedi Windu had partnered with. The first was a Gray Jedi named Rhome, who according to Cordelia, is an Elder of Bogun now. Or was anyway. Regardless, Rhome was a dark side leaner. Many years ago, he and Windu were sent by Grandmaster Yoda and Palatial Elder Inan to investigate a disturbance in an old Jedi Temple on the planet of Giskina, right before the Invasion of Naboo. He and Rhome had encountered numerous dangers in the temple, creatures, Force Visions, old combat droids. Rhome had been so savage and so violent, it shook the then Jedi Knight Windu to his core. He didn't simply kill a beast because it attacked him. He would seek them out, provoke them, then enjoy the slow, agonizing deaths he brought upon them. At the time, still young and inexperienced, Windu had been horrified. He remembered thinking to himself that Rhome must be what a Sith was like.

Rhome was not a Sith, as Windu would come to realize later on. No, Dooku and his unknown master were much worse. The memory stuck with him, however, after all these years. Despite Cordelia's charm, compassion, and honesty, Windu still sensed the Dark Side behind that beautiful face and that darkness made her like Rhome. That meant she couldn't be trusted. Rhome couldn't be. He betrayed Windu's trust. Strangely, in the heart of the temple, they found both Jedi and Sith holocrons. Rhome took the Sith holocrons and made off with them, despite saying he wouldn't. They would have been helpful now, in the time of the reemergence of the Sith.

Mace was pulled out of his memories by the distinctive clanking sound of Battle Droids echoing out of the cave. A few blaster bolts lasered through the mouth and into the night air. The clanking got louder as the general's comm link began to blink.

"Cordelia, what's going on?" he asked into his wrist. Two clones skimmed the edge of the cave and took up position against its rocky face. Windu watched as the rest of the clones followed suit, taking up position behind the nearby boulders. One was shot at last minute. He fell at the opening and didn't get up. The last to exit was Cordelia. She backflipped and landed gracefully on her feet in the center of the clearing. Her silver and orange sabers cut through the darkness like a sun and moon.

"We got the droids to follow us out, but there's a problem." the Consult said as she took up residence behind a rock. There were twenty, thirty battle droids marching into the clearing now. Windu motioned for the rest of his troops to start firing. Battle droids dropped like flies. "Dooku's not here." she said. "Blast it. Are you sure?" he replied, hoping she was mistaken. "Yes, I'm positive." Windu grunted irritably and leaped high into the air. Dropping a few hundred feet, he landed unharmed next to the Consult. Igniting his violet saber, he slit a B1 Battledroid from shoulder to hip joint as he straightened.

"Welcome to the party." Cordelia said, defecting a few bolts. A rolling sound came from within the cave. "I don't know what that is, but I have the feeling I'm not gonna like it." the Gray said as two Destroyer Droids wheeled into the battle. They stopped a few feet away from the two Force users, expanding into attack mode. Their bluish shields activated instantly and their blasters shot back in preparation with a click. "Yup, I don't like them." she whined as she took up a defensive stance. She and Windu drew their fire away from the clones. The deflected blaster bolts dissolved into the shields, sending a ripple in the bubble like technology. Windu force pushed the left droideka backwards. It curled up into a wheel and the general sliced it. Cordelia tried to do the same, but the droid flopped over instead, shields still up and still in attack position. Seeing her frustration, Windu dropped a nearby rock on the droid, crushing it. Sparks erupted from underneath the stone.

"You made that look deceptively easy." the Consult said, trying to hide her embarrassment. "You'll get the hang of it Elder Cordelia. You just need practice." he replied.

The two of them along with the clones, sliced and blasted and shot every single droid that came out of the rocky opening. Finally, the last one fell. They carefully moved into the Separatist base.

They traveled down the long tunnel in a pack, watching out for droids and booby traps alike. As the ceiling ascended, stalactites began to form, looking like rocky teeth. A few jitros swooped down at them halfway through, but didn't stick around.

Finally they entered the main vestibule. It was a large cavern with enough crates and boxes for a warehouse. Above them was a basic steel foundation to reinforce the ceiling. There was a few feet between the metal and ceiling that was nothing but darkness. There were deactivated battle droids, charging stations, and a control center off to the side of the room. Some stalagmites had been sawed off to make it easier to maneuver. There was a communication relay in the corner and radar to protect the perimeter. The only sound was the occasional drip of water from the ceilings and the footsteps of the Republic forces. A few small, bug like creatures shied away from them, running off into small holes in the base of the floor. The Separatists had drilled lights into the walls of the cave, creating harsh shadows and highlights through out the area. 

"Dooku could still be here somewhere. I don't sense him though." Cordelia said. She made a sour face beneath the cloth that hung on her nose as Windu sighed irritably. "This is an issue. Our scouts saw him enter before our attack." "Which means someone tipped him off." Stak finished. He was kneeling down and examining a crate full of spare battle droid parts.

"No good sir. Sepys wiped the memory clean." called a clone technician at the control center. Cordelia sat down on a nearby crate and began to meditate.

"Any secret passages? Hangers? Vehicles?" the general asked, pulling his eyes away from the Gray. "I'm having Livewire scan the cave now sir." Stak said. "Dooku is a slippery one. He always seems to be one step ahead of us." Mace stated dejectedly. He watched as the troopers skirted around the perimeter, looking under boxes or anything else that looked suspicious. "Indeed he is sir. Capturing him will be no easy task." the commander repied from behind his brown striped visor. Windu was proud of Stak for being promoted. He was a good trooper. He followed orders, worked hard. He deserved it.

"I took a scan of the caves sir." a clone, presumably Livewire, said as he walked up to them, fiddling with a datapad. "There are no life forms except for us and some creatures. The caves go on for miles. There is an exit or two, but they would be hard to get to, if at all." he explained, showing Windu the map of the cave system.

"No use. I can't sense him anywhere nearby." Cordelia said, breaking her meditation. She slid off the box. "Uhh, Master Windu?" Mace turned to her. "Yes?" "Didn't we enter with twenty two men?" She asked, concerned. Windu looked around. One, two, three, four... She was right. There were no longer twenty-two. There were now fourteen.

"Where are the rest of your men?" Windu demanded. "They're here general. I told them not to leave this room until we had completed our sweep." the commander replied, confused. "He did sir! I heard him." Livewire chimed in. "Well we have less troops than when we entered. Now go find them before-" Mace cut off as Cordelia screamed. He turned around and saw her face planted on the floor, pinned beneath the body of a dead trooper. "Above us!" she yelled, trying to push the dead man off of her. As she did, another trooper fell from the ceiling, almost on Windu. He dodged just in time.

"What the hell?" Stak said, pulling his blaster up to his face. Livewire dropped the datapad on the floor and pulled out his two twin pistols.

"I've got a bad feeling about this." Windu spoke as he ignited his saber, turning floor purple. Cordelia pushed the body off of her and took up a defensive position. There was a distinctive metal clink before a dozen commando droids dropped from the ceiling. In unison, they all looked up and snapped out their vibroblades.

"Remember the destroyer droids?" Windu said as he went to duel the commando. "These are worse." Cordelia flipped over the droid and attempted to stab it from behind. It dodged and sliced at her arm with a high pitched whir. She yanked it away just in time. "I see you point." she said, countering the commando's attacks with her sabers. Windu parried and slashed with his own enemy, managing to slice it from the left rib cage to neck. It dropped in two halves.

The clones were handling the commandos the best they could. Those clankers have tough armor. The remaining troopers grouped up together to take them down one at a time by battering them with blaster fire.

Cordelia was sparring one to his left, while Windu was pinned in by two. He slashed and struck, his movements heightened by adrenaline. He spun and took out one. He raised his saber to finish the second one when an orange blade appeared through its chest. It dropped to reveal Cordelia. She had her silver blade up, blocking the vibroblade of the still activated commando droid. "I saw an opening." she said simply as she took her orange saber and ended the final droid. They took a look around. Of the twenty-two men they had entered with, only six remained, including both Commander Stak and Livewire.

"Well if we weren't sure if Dooku was tipped off before, we certainly know now." Mace said, attaching his saber to his belt. Cordelia walked to his side, hand on her chin. "The question now is how. No one knew we were coming. We may have been spotted on our way here." she suggested. Windu crossed his arms. "Your observations are only half true. Yes, we could have been spotted on the way here, but there was someone who did know we were on Vardos." he explained. Cordelia cocked her head. "Who?" "Garrick Versio."

\---

"Please, come in Master Jedi." A male voice said from within the office. Windu, Cordelia, and Stak all entered. A man in his thirties with slicked back dark hair and a large stature sat behind a wooden desk, his fingers inter linked. He watched them intently, like a hunter watches his prey.

After the incident in the cave, the remaining Republic forces made their way to Kestro to speak with Versio. The other four troopers stood at attention outside while the leadership dealt with Versio. They had also managed to get a transmission through to the Republic. Master Ki-Adi Mundi was on his way with reinforcements as the spoke.

Windu was not happy. He hadn't trusted Versio from the beginning, but trusted him out of necessity. That got him ambushed.

"Hello Inspector Versio." he said cordially. "Protectorate Gleb will not be speaking with us?" Versio sat forward. "I am afraid not. She has some important business to take care of so you are stuck with me. What can I do for you, General Windu?" The way he said his title, General Windu, it sounded almost like an insult. He was glad Skywalker wasn't here. That boy lost his temper quicker than a drunken pirate loses credits in a game of Pazaak. For her flaws, Cordelia seemed to be slow to anger.

"What you can do for me is explain how Count Dooku and the Separatists knew about a mission that only you, Gleb, and my men knew about." Windu asked, keeping his emotions in check. Versio leaned back nonchalantly. "I'm not sure. Perhaps one of your men slipped? It could be a side effect of all that cloning garbage. No one knows how those Kaminoans do it so efficiently. Cloning is one of the most intricate sciences in the galaxy." the Inspector General stated. Stak tensed up next to them, but said nothing. "There could be... side effects."

"One of our men did not slip." Cordelia bit back, slamming her palm on the top of his desk. So much for being slow to anger. Versio simply raised an eyebrow at the remark. Windu didn't have to say anything to her though. She released her anger and recentered her emotions.

"What the Consult is trying to say is, it was definitely not on our end." Mace explained, giving her a death glare. She clammed up immediately. Versio picked up a reddish drink from his desktop and took a long sip through a straw. He swallowed before placing it back. It landed on the table with a clink. "Perhaps you were spotted?" "Not likely." Windu countered. Versio leaned forward and stared Windu directly in the eye. A bold move. A dangerous move.

"Are you suggesting something General?" he asked innocently. He knew damn well what Windu was asking. "Perhaps you have a mole in one of your officers. Perhaps one of them let it, as you say, slip." Garrick broke the eye contact first.

"Impossible. My men are highly trained. They are loyal and obedient. They would never disobey a direct order." he explained. "Loyal and obedient to who? Certainly not the Republic." Windu said, narrowing his eyes at Versio. The Vardosian gave a smirk. "I can assure you, none of my men leaked anything to Count Dooku and the Separatists. You have my word on that." Versio said. "Anything else I can do for you? My daughter Iden turns five today, so I'd like to get home and be with my family to celebrate. Not that any of you would understand that, the idea of family." he said, his venomous words sugar coated with a smile. Cordelia balled her hands into fists. That anger was back, but this time it was not alone. It was accompanied by grief, guilt, and mourning. It was accompanied by pain. Windu knew why.

"Don't you dare tell me what I do or don't understand." the Gray spat, taking a few steps towards him. "What are you going to do Jedi?" he taunted. She smiled mischievously. "I'm glad you asked." She Force pushed him against the back wall, sending his chair flying. She took out her silver saber. She brought it up an inch from his nose. 

"I'm glad you asked because I am no Jedi." she replied, her voice angry and at the same time, almost seductive. "Cordelia!" Windu yelled. "You may not be a Jedi, but you are still a member of the Republic Army and will act as such. Now let him go, Consult!" He said dangerously. Cordelia knew better than to cross Mace. Versio dropped to his feet.

"Out of my office. Now." he demanded, his face red with anger. The three of them were happy to oblige. "Remember that next time you speak, Versio." Cordelia spat as they exited. They regrouped with the rest of Windu's squadron outside the office. Windu grabbed her arm and yanked her roughly to the side. 

"I understand that family is a touchy subject for you right now, Consult, but you must not let your emotions control you like that." He snapped. Cordelia whirled around on him, but the second she looked into his face, Windu sensed all the fight seap out of her. 

"I'm sorry, Master Windu. I'm not usually one to lose my head." she said softly. "I know you aren't, but that was still unacceptable behavior." She dipped her head. "We will discuss this later." he told her. They returned to the group.

"Well this complicates things." Stak said as he took his helmet off. He brought his hand up to the new goatee on his chin. "Dooku knows we're here. We know Dooku's here. Now it's time for a game of cat and mouse." Windu crossed his arms. "The question is, who is the cat and who is the mouse?"

\---

"Hello Master Mundi." Mace greeted as a Republic transport touched down on the helipad in front of him. Despite Cordelia's threats, Versio had decided to help out the Republic after all. Windu was leary, but couldn't refuse the offer. Versio gave them full use of the nearest Jinata Security base, including the hangers. He also sent a group of his best troopers to assist them, code named Ember Squad.

"Good evening Master Windu, Consult Cordelia." Mundi said pleasantly as he stepped off the ship into the hanger. There were a few ARC-170s parked for the clone pilots. The troopers were taking crates off the LAATs. The Jinata force had their own ships as well, the Mohllorian JR Heavy Infantry Starfighter. The ship was triangular in shape with a fin type wing on the top.

"I look forward to driving Dooku off this planet and hopefully into a Republic prison." Mundi finished. Cordelia sighed. "I hope you're right General Mundi." Her hood was down, revealing her forlorn face. Her long silvery-gold hair was undone and hanging down to the small of her back. She had lost some of her spark since their conversation with Versio. She turned away and walked into the depths of the base.

"Well she seems solemn. That is unusual for her." Ki-Adi stated. "Indeed. Would you like to talk to her or I?" Windu suggested. "You are closer with the Gray than I. I can handle things here." Windu nodded and followed after Cordelia.

He found her meditating in the garden outside. It was beautiful. It was full of boxy hedges and flowers unlike any he had ever seen. A fountain etched from a pale blue stone was spewing a deep, cerulean colored water in the center. A carved Vardosian Firebird in flight stood atop it. There were ornate benches and darkened lights. Strange fluttering creatures flew around Windu's face as he walked to the Gray, who was perched at the foot at the fountain. She opened her eyes. She looked to Windu as he sat down beside her. 

"Your mind is restless young one." he said to her. "I'm not that young." she replied indignantly. Mace gave her a look. "I'm sorry. What Versio said earlier... It stung more than I thought it would." she admitted. "This is why the Jedi warn of attachments." Cordelia sighed. "I know Master Windu, and I understand it, it's just..." she trailed off. Windu decided to take a risky approach.

"What happened that night, when Dooku came? You have divulged very little information." he asked tentatively. This was a touchy subject and he wasn't sure how she would respond. All she told the council was that the Dooku came and eradicated everyone but her and she wanted to join the war effort to help bring the Count to justice. She did not say anymore than that. The Consult was silent for a few breaths.

"After we had captured Sykes, I brought him back to Iveria to face trial. He was found guilty and was to be put to death for endangering our order and risking the balance of the Force." she explained. "The day of his execution came. So did Dooku. He brought his droids, his ships, his top general. He and Elder Mayh had a not so nice discussion. That's when Dooku sent his army on us. The droids we could have dealt with. We could have taken them easily. It was Dooku and Grievous that did the most damage. Most of my order had never seen combat. They hadn't been in a duel for their life before, especially not against someone like Grievous, who is just a monstrosity. The droids were nuisances. It was Grievous and Dooku. Between the two of them, they killed everyone." Cordelia's voice was barely audible. She pulled her knees into her chest. "Finally it came down to me, my sister Nyla, and Biron Sykes. We were the only survivors. My parents, grandparents, brother, the Elders, they were already dead. Sykes sided with Dooku, obviously, but the Count betrayed him." She was staring at the ground, her face distant. "Grievous swung his lightsaber straight through Biron's neck. Afterwards, I watched as Dooku shoved a lightsaber straight through my sister's chest." She choked on that last word. It took her a second to collect herself. "At that point, I knew I had no chance. I had to run. So did and I found myself running straight here, to the Jedi Council, to the Republic." Cordelia's voice was hollow. Windu could sense her immense pain. He remembered the first Battle of Geonosis, watching all of his Jedi brethren die before him, all the blaster bolts, the Geonosians cheering on the violence...

"My condolences Cordelia." Mace didn't know what else to say. "Thank you. It's in the past now. All I can do is move on and keep my order alive anyway I can." She said quietly. She released her knees and grabbed her orange saber. She ignited it, glow turning her face persimmon. "And I'm going to start by making Dooku pay."


	2. The Infilration of Vardos Pt. 2

\\]The next day, the Republic troops managed to track a Separatist signal to warehouse in the industrial district of Kestro. After planning their strategy, they found themselves standing in the complex, waiting for Versio's men to arrive. Cordelia still seemed out of it. This concerned Windu and he decided to speak to her about it. She was currently speaking with Stak and Captain Fir over near a few large containment units.

"Consult, can I have a word?" he asked her. The Gray turned to him. "Of course Master Windu." She said. They moved a few feet to their right to speak more privately.

"I sense that you are still uneasy Cordelia. Are you sure you are up for this mission?" She gripped her right wrist. "Yes. I promise sir. I won't let you down, nor will I let my emotions get in the way of us taking Dooku in. You have my word." she promised. They looked up as the Jinata Reinforcements marched in. They were dressed in black armor. The one that was speaking with Master Mundi, presumably the leader, had red stripes on his chest plate and helmet. Windu, Cordelia, and the clones made their way over to discuss the plan.

"Lightning Squadron, meet Ember Squadron." Master Mundi introduced. "This is Commander Yuno. He will be assisting us in driving the Separatists from Vardos." Yuno took a step forward to address them. Yuno was a tall man. Although he was skinny, he was well muscled. Only his face was visible through his helmet. His defining features were a small nose, dark upturned eyes, and lock of hair that was stuck to his brow.

"It's an honor to serve with you. I have heard stories of the Clone Army's prowess and skills in battle. I look forward to seeing if they are true." he said. He gave a pointed look at three Force-Users and said nothing. Wiindu sensed irritation from Cordelia, but she kept her mouth shut this time.

Their plan was to move stealthily to the warehouse, which was on the opposite side of the complex. From there, they would surround it. Then Mace and Yuno would enter, driving the droids out. That would leave Mundi and Cordelia outside to box them in. Windu wanted to have Mundi by his side instead of Yuno, but he trusted the Jinata Commander less than Dooku. Cordelia was starting to prove herself, but after her outburst in Versio's office, he did not want to leave anything to chance.

So they found themselves taking up posts around a large, not well kept building. Some soldiers, both clones and Jinata, were perched up on nearby warehouses and container units in sniping positions. Others were positioned behind boxes or vehicles or doors.

As for Cordelia and Mundi, they were perpendicular with the door so that they would have a clean shot at the droids when they first exited. They both nodded at Windu as he, Stak, and the rest of his squad prepared to infiltrate the warehouse.

Slow and steady, like a Meldorian Shadow Creeper, they slunk around the back and caught sign of two battle droid sentries guarding a rusted set of double doors. The silver Super Battle Droids were scanning the immediate area for any threats. Hiding behind a crate, Windu tapped into the Force and shifted a box across the way, sending a metallic screech throughout the district.

"What was that?" the right super said, his voice modulator digital and monotone. "I don't know. Why don't you check it out?" the second one replied emotionlessly. "Alright." The droid clunked stiffly over to the box. He stared at it for a moment.

"Huh." He kicked at it confusedly and returned to his spot at the entrance.

"I do not know what that was B-1852." When he did not get a response, the droid looked to his right to find his comrade missing. "G-1852? Where are you?" The super looked around the immediate area, but did not see the other sentry. He looked back to where he should have been and lowered his ocular sensors. He saw G-1852 in two pieces on the concrete. "Huh?" He said. A second later, a hum and a flash of purple slit him in half.

Windu urged his men forward. He edged open the door and slipped in alone. Mace slunk his way over to a group of boxes stacked on top of each other in the corner.

He took out the interior sentries before ushering the rest of his troops in. Once they were all in position, Windu took a peek around the corner.

There were B1 Battle Droids moving back and forth carrying various boxes. Some supers were posted near the large warehouse door in the back, the door lift controls to the right of it. He would have to get to that control panel to lift it up. A tactical droid was behind the control center directing his troops this way and that, barking orders. A large tank was being constructed in the corner. No sign of Dooku. He was there though, somewhere. Windu could sense him. He raised his right hand. He held it there for a moment before collapsing it into a fist. Then the blaster bolts starting flying.

\---

"Any sign of the dear old Count?" Cordelia asked as they finished off the first wave of droids. In the distance, there was a chorus of metallic clangs, followed by the marching of droid feet. The nearest containment unit's door dropped down and B1 and B2 battle droids stepped out to play.

"Not quite yet. He is here though." Windu said, deflecting some blaster bolts. The clones started mowing the droids down like grass. Ember Squadron was inflicting significant damage as well. Yuno and his men were well trained. Cordelia took her silver saber and tossed it. It spun horizontally and cut through four battle droids. She pulled it back and did a fancy leap, slashing a super battle droid from shoulder to hip joint. A laugh pulled their attention to the figure standing on the roof of a container. A red lightsaber ignited as they came to a ceasefire.

"Ahh, Master Windu. My old friend. I was wondering when this conflict would bring us together again." the leader of the Confederacy said, his face illuminated in crimson. "Dooku. You will pay for the pain you have caused the galaxy." Mace said, keeping his emotions in check.

"Starting with the pain you caused me." Cordelia spat beside him. She picked up a blaster beaten B2 Super Battle Droid and flung it at the Count. He caught it in the air and flung it to his left. The droids and soldiers began firing at each other once again. Dooku gave them a smirk as hopped into the air and disappeared behind the unit.

"Mundi, stay with Yuno. Cordelia and I will go after Dooku." he ordered. Mundi nodded as he sent a few blaster bolts back at the droid army.

"Good luck Windu." he said. Mace hopped high over the container while Cordelia ran around the side. She did her quintessential saber toss at that Count's back that she was quickly becoming known for. He stopped and whacked it to the side. The silver saber deactivated and the dark purple hilt flung backwards onto the concrete with a metallic clink. She leapt forward and slashed at him with her orange blade. He tucked his arm behind his back and dueled her one handed. She pulled her silver saber to her hand and slashed at Dooku's right side. He dodged and shot lightning at her. She put her sabers in an X formation and blocked it. She yanked them apart, sending pale blue sparks bouncing off the pavement.

"Impressive. The Elders have taught you well little Fire Fang." he stated. "You do not have the right to call me that!" she screamed at him. To Windu's surprise, she was managing her anger surprisingly well, especially considering that she was speaking to the man who killed her entire order and her family. She tapped into the Force and gave him a hard shove. The Sith Lord flipped backwards and landed on his feet. Windu and Cordelia made eye contact. They both nodded and rushed the Count together.

Cordelia leapt up high while Windu stabbed at Dooku's chest. Amazingly, he managed to block both. It was no wonder he was one of the best duelers in Jedi Order during his time. He was equal to Mace Windu and only passed by Grandmaster Yoda himself.

The Count countered each of their blows with strategic prowess. He took a step back before Force pushing them both into the nearby metal warehouse wall. Windu hit it hard, knocking the wind out of him. They both fell to their hands and knees. Mace looked up in time to see Dooku running into a containment unit. The two of them scrambled up and followed him in.

The second they entered, they were blasted in the face with something, some kind of strange mist that the general did not recognize. Windu shook his head as a strange sensation overtook his head, a tingling feeling. It passed and he looked up. The room was empty with the exception of a few crates. On the opposite side was Dooku, lightsaber out, taunting him. Cordelia was nowhere in sight.

"Where is Consult Cordelia?" he asked aggressively. "In another room, dealing with a... friend of our's." Dooku stated. Windu twirled his violet blade before rushing him. He swung up high. Dooku countered quickly and stabbed out at his chest. He dodged and did a slick side flip. As Mace landed on his feet, he swung upwards, catching the Count's leg. He hissed in pain.

"I see the war has only improved your already remarkable talents. Such a shame it is wasted in the Republic." he said, swinging at the Jedi. "And yours is wasted with the Separatists." Windu countered. They locked sabers for a moment before pulling apart. Windu picked up a nearby box and tossed it at the Count. He slashed it in two, each side of the crate flying to his left and right. Dooku dashed forward, swinging at Windu. They cut and parried and blocked. Their lightsabers pulled together, creating a burst of light, before it was snuffed out by the next few blows.

\---

Cordelia stood staring at the figure in front of her. She was dumbstruck with what she saw. It couldn't be. Her brain shut down with shock. She could barely put two thoughts together.

"You're... you're dead." she stuttered out. A tingling sensation overcame her head. Her vision sparkled and she staggered to the side. As quickly is it came, it passed. She looked to the figure on the other side of the room. Her sister Nyla gave her a disapproving look. She ignited her saber. It was once yellow. Now it is red.

"Really, Cordelia? Are you that naive? I was the one who pushed Biron to leave. I was the one who bought Dooku and his army to Iveria. Do you really think he would have killed me? I was his new apprentice all along, not Biron. Wake up." Cordelia shook her head. It was her Nyla alright. She had the same shoulder-length dark hair, same blue eyes, same voice. Nyla had their dad's nose where Cordelia had their mom's. She had the scar that ran along her jaw and onto her neck. She got it when she fell into the Verazon River when they were kids. Their older brother Lano had to dive in and fish her out. Nyla was even wearing the same armor she was wearing when she died. Or didn't die.

"No. You can't. Nyla, how could you do this to me, to us?" Cordelia cried. Tears dripped down her face. They dampened the cloth on her nose. Nyla gave her a wicked smile and twirled her saber before rushing at her. She swung up at the spot where Cordelia's neck met her shoulder. The Consult blocked it and stabbed forward. Nyla dodged left. She swung up and caught Cordelia's leg. She gasped and stumbled back, gripping the wound. She exhaled painfully.

"Whatever Dooku promised you is a lie! He will betray you. He will kill you just like he did Sykes. Come with me! We're the only two left, I can't lose you again! I love you! Please." Cordelia begged. It had been a long time since she told her that she had loved her. It was one of the biggest regrets she had. Nyla gave her a lopsided smirk. "I don't think so sister. I will not be used by the Jedi Order, be turned into one of their mindless pawns. My talents would be wasted there. I'd much rather stay where I can... excel. Grow. Climb the ladder, so to say." she explained. Nyla picked up a nearby crate and tossed it at her. Cordelia swung out and cut it in two. She then sprinted at her sister.

\---

After minutes of intense sparring, Windu finally managed to get another cut in the Count. He cried out in pain. Breathing heavily, Dooku looked up at him, furious. Mace took the momentary vulnerability to Force push the Sith into the wall. Dooku collided with it had before dropping down to the floor. He laid there on his stomach for a moment. Windu started walking towards Count Dooku's unconscious form. 

Suddenly, Windu got a bout of dizziness. He gripped his head and stumbled to one side. It passed a second later, but for a moment the image before him... flickered? What was going on? He blinked and Dooku went blurry again. Then it hit him: the mist. What was that mist? Windu calmed his mind and began to focus. As Dooku got up, the image flickered once again to reveal... Cordelia? He shook his head. It was her alright. Whatever that mist was must have been hallucinogenic. 

"Cordelia, snap out of it." he said. She did not hear him. She swung out at the Jedi Master. He cursed under his breath. He didn't want to hurt her, but he did not have time for this. Dooku was getting away. He took a deep breath and dodged her strikes.

"How could you betray me like this? Why?" Cordelia asked. She was crying. Windu wondered who she thought she was talking to. Certainly not Dooku in that sad, broken tone of voice.

"Cordelia, you have to focus. See through the illusion." he said. She slashed at him again. He sidestepped it. "Cordelia! Listen to me." She came dangerously close to stabbing him. No longer willing to play this game, he grabbed both of her wrists. She dropped her sabers onto the floor. Cordelia tried to wrench herself away from him, but Windu's grip was like iron. She backed up to create some distance before kicking him in the ribs. He lurched forward in pain, forcing him to let her go. She raised him up in a Force choke. Not enough to kill him, but enough to get the adrenaline pumping.

"Please don't make me do this. Please just come back with me, join the Republic." she begged.

"Sorry kid." he managed to get out. He reached out to a nearby pipe on the floor in the corner. It flew into the air of its own accord. It hit the Gray hard in the side of the head and she ragdolled to the ground. Windu dropped to the floor, coughing. On his hands and knees, he looked at the ground until he caught his breath. He crawled over to check on Cordelia to make sure she was breathing. She was. He wished he didn't have to do that. Poor kid. A scuff sound drew his attention upwards. Windu got to his feet and saw Dooku standing next to the back exit.

"What did you think of my newest little trick Master Windu?" Tyranus asked. "It was very interesting Count. Too bad that duel wasn't real. Now I get my second chance." the Jedi Master said. He took a breath. Dooku made a face at him. "You saw me? Curious." He said. Windu rushed at the Count. Dooku flipped over him and landed overtop of the unconscious Gray Jedi. Cordelia said something unintelligible and moved slightly. He looked down at her.

"Such a pity. Sahrea would have made a most promising apprentice." Dooku said. Windu kept his face neutral, but somehow the Count saw through his facade.

"You mean she has not told you yet?" Dooku said with an amused smile. He gave a chuckle. "Better late than never, I suppose. Cordelia here is none other than Sahrea Shan, the last living descendant of legendary Jedi Bastila Shan and her husband, the infamous Darth Revan. Pity. Well, all good things must come to an end eventually." he said. He lifted up his saber to plunge it through her heart. Not on Windu's watch. He Force pushed the Count away from his comrade. Windu hopped up and raised his saber up high. He pulled it down as he neared Dooku. The Separatist blocked it, but the force of Mace's strike pushed him backwards. They locked sabers, Dooku's back leaning against the wall. Something hard his the side of Mace's head. He dropped to the ground. The pipe that hit Cordelia fell to the ground with a clink next to him. It rolled against his right hand. He heard Mundi and Yuno and the rest of their forces entered behind him. Dooku growled.

"We will meet again Windu. That I am sure of." he said, making his way towards the exit. Windu used the wall to help him to his feet. A nearby explosion rocked the district. Windu stumbled against the wall, but did not fall again. He watched as Dooku bolted out the door. He chased the Count outside. As he ran through the double doors, he saw a nearby containment building on fire. The metal was warped and ripped apart. Twisted debris was on the ground all around him. Dooku was aboard a departing Separatist shuttle. The two locked eyes as it lifted up into the atmosphere and away from Vardos. 

\---

"Ahh, my head. Thanks Master Windu." Sahrea whined when she awoke in the medical wing on the Endurance hours later. They had packed up and left Vardos. They had discovered Dooku had been planning on silently taking over Kestro, and then the planet, in hopes of using it as a launching pad for an invasion of Coruscant. Thankful for the Republic's involvement and their willingness to leave, the President of Vardos has decided to speak with Chancellor Palpatine about joining the Republic Senate.

Shan sat up and looked to Mace. Her armor had been removed to tend to her wounds. It was strange to see her in the simple hospital gown compared to the ornate, white and grey armor she usually wore. Her lightsabers were on a table next to the bed she was sitting on.

"I need a moment alone with the Gray." Windu said, dismissing the medic that had been flipping through a datapad in the corner without breaking eye contact with Shan. He could tell by her face that she knew something was wrong.

"Alright General. The neurotoxin is out of her system. She just needs rest now to heal her concussion and burns." the medic explained. "Neurotoxin?" she asked. "It is a hallucinogenic. It centers on the part of the brain that deals with anger. We've deduced that it shows you who you are most angry at." he told her. Shan seemed to withdraw a little. "Did it affect you as well?" She asked Windu. "Yes, but not as strongly as you." The Gray gave him a look. "Really?" She asked. "This is likely due to size. You are a good deal smaller than General Windu." The medic added. "I have also been trained to control my anger." Windu explained with an edge to his voice. Shan got a sheepish look. "That'll be all." He finished. The medic nodded to them before exiting the room. 

"We need to talk Cordelia." Windu said as the door slid shut with a hiss. "Or should I call you by you real name, Sahrea Shan?" She gave him a surprised look before lowering her head. He was peeved that she had not disclosed the fact that she was the lost Heir of Revan to them. The Shan line was believed to have ended hundreds of years ago with a Jedi named Karish Shan. Apparently not.

"So Dooku told you." she said softly. "Yes. The question is, why did I have to learn it from Dooku and not you? You have been enlisted in the Republic military for weeks now. Why did you never tell us?" he demanded. Shan sighed.

"Look, it's nothing personal Master Windu. It's just... well we already had trust issues before you knew who I was related to. I wasn't sure if you would let me in if you knew I had as much potential to be a Jedi as I did a Sith. Secondly, it isn't easy growing up as the Heir of Revan. Everyone expects immediate greatness out of you, or they think that you only got where you are because of who you are related to, not by your hard work. Both my sister Nyla and I, along with our older brother Lano, dealt with it our whole lives. As kids we often hung together because no one else would give us a chance." she explained. "I just wanted to be a nobody for once. Just be a regular soldier" she sighed. Her long hair was unbound and the parts that weren't stuck to her back were pooling on the white blanket over her lap. 

"I understand your dilemma Shan, but that's still no excuse. You are partnered with the Jedi Order and a member of the Grand Army of the Galactic Republic. You do not get to choose what to keep secret and what not." he said. Shan looked up to him grumpily. "Excuse me? How many secrets does the Jedi Council keep?" she snapped at him. "I have done nothing but prove myself. I've done the classes, I'm helping you track down Dooku, what more do you want from me?" she asked. "The truth. All of it." he said. Shan looked down at her hands. Her arms were covered in small scars. He never noticed that before.

"When Dooku fell to the Dark Side, he came to us immediately. He had heard a rumor that the Gray were hiding an Heir of Revan. The Elders feared that we were too powerful for either the Jedi or the Sith, that it could tip the balance. So they lied to Dooku, told him the line was dead. That's why he retaliated against us." she recollected. "But that's it! Obi-Wan filled you in on everything we know about the Sith." Windu nodded. "That will do for now Consult. I must speak with the Jedi Council about what to do from here." he told her as he turned to leave.

"Master Windu, there is one other thing." she said. Mace turned around to face her. "After the attack, I found all of the bodies but two. One was my little sister Nyla. The other was a Bogun Adept named Harahm Mayh." she said. "Like Elder Mayh." the Gray nodded. "Harahm was her son." Windu put his hand to his chin. "Do you think they could still be alive?" he asked her. "My sister is unlikely. I saw Dooku stab her. But Harahm is a different case." she explained. "Different how?" Shan gave him a strange look. "Harahm is also Dooku's son." Windu tightened his jaw. "That is an important piece of information. Is that all?" he asked her stiffly. She nodded yes. He sighed.

"Thank you. Get some sleep. You did a good job today Consult." She smiled at him and put her head back on her pillow, happy to oblige.


	3. The Hunt on Kashyyyk Pt. 1

Grandmaster Yoda sat still as a statue, listening. There were the immediate sounds that pricked at his ears. The brushing of leaves high up in the canopy of the wroshyr trees. The shuffle of Wookiee feet as they walked across the wooden walkways they had built to the trunks of trees, high above the dense darkness of the deadly Shadowlands. The chattering of Sahrea Shan to the three younglings who accompanied them. He could hear Captain Zak directing orders to his small squadron of troops. The occasional roars of two Wookiees in communication. The song of an Agr as it perched itself in a tree above the hut Yoda was meditating in. All this he knew. He needed to go deeper.

He took a breath and blocked all of those sounds out. He stretched out his consciousness farther and lower, into the depths of the forest floor, into the dreaded Shadowlands. The Shadowlands was a place where only the mightiest Wookiee would venture, but even he did not go alone. It was full of dangers beyond one's imagination.

Yoda could sense all the life that filled the region. It was constantly shifting. It was a buzz with energy, yet Yoda sensed something dark down there, something... ancient. He sensed the fear that surrounded it, the adrenaline as everything in its path fled away for dear life. The way it skirted around trees like they were twigs. The vibrations in the ground as its massive body slunk along. What was it though? This must be the creature that had been terrorizing the nearby Wookiee villages. He focused, trying to get a good sense of what this creature might be. His brows drew together as he concentrated. He focused, each second more intensely than the last. He relaxed his mind after a moment. It was no use. With all those lifeforms roaming about, it was impossible to get a clear view of what they were dealing with. The elderly Jedi rose stiffly to his feet. He stretched before walking out of the hut, his cane clicking on the wooden panels.

"Hello Master Yoda." Sahrea Shan said pleasantly as he joined them. After Vardos, they forgave the Gray for keeping her identity a secret, but did punish her with a longer period of probation. She felt that that was fair and never said anything more.

The Gray was in her usual Echani-like armor. Behind her stood three younglings. They were close to becoming padawans and Master Yoda wanted to see how they would act outside of the Jedi Temple. This seemed like an easy and relatively safe first mission for the blossoming Jedi. One was Ura Nahzalem, a young Twi'Lek with pale purple skin and a big smile. She wore brown and white robes and blue bladed lightsaber hung at her waist. She was an excitable young one, always eager to dive in to the next topic even if she hadn't mastered the first. She was happy and optimistic, never failing to have a good outlook on the situation, her masters have noticed. The second was Caleb Dume, dressed in dark blue and white. He was the oldest of the three. He was a human male with light skin and dark hair. He was always a hard worker and loved to study. He was prideful though, something they hoped he would outgrow. He would make a good Jedi teacher one day, that Yoda was sure of. The final youngling was the one Yoda was most interesting in seeing. He was a Wookiee named Gungi. Yoda chose him for this mission because he felt that seeing his own people would be a good learning experience for him.

So far Gungi seemed excited to experience how his people lived. In return, they received him warmly, proud to have one of their own as a member of the Jedi Order.

"Good evening Consult. Children." he said to them with a grin. "Anything new to report?" Shan asked. "Not quite yet. Mysterious, this creature is. Moves unlike anything I've seen before, it does." Yoda said.

"What are we going to do when we find it master?" Nahzalem asked. "Deal with that when it is found, we will. Understand why it is attacking, we must." he explained to them. Dume made a grumpy face.

"It's a giant monster from a scary forest! It's probably hunting for a Wookiee snack." he said, poking an uneasy Gungi in the ribs. He growled angrily back at him. "You are too afraid!" Dume replied.

"Stop that, both of you." Shan chided. They quieted down immediately. "Now we do not have all the facts. This creature could be attacking for any number of reasons. We will decide what to do once it is found and we know what we are dealing with." she said. The group looked up as a massive Wookiee with tan and brown two toned fur walked up to greet them. He gave a loud roar and put a hairy fist to his chest. He had a belt and a metal chestplate on that wrapped around to his back in the shape of an X. Behind him, a second thinner, but just as tall Wookiee, approached them. He was all brown with a munition belt that hung from his left shoulder to his right hip. He gave a small roar as he stopped besides his companion.

"Good to see you, it is, General Tarfful and Commander Chewbacca." the Grandmaster said. Gungi made some excited Wookiee noises and hopped up and down at the legendary warriors. The thinner one, Chewbacca, gave an amused laugh.

"Would you accompany us to the hut of the council to discuss the situation?" Tarfful asked in Shyriiwook. "Honored, I would be. Follow along Younglings." he replied as they slowly made their way to the general's home.

"There have been many sightings from here all the way Kachirho Beach. I have our historian, Chakhoro, researching what this could possibly be. We have ruled out many possible creatures." Turfful explained. Behind them, Shan hushed the whispering children. Yoda thought for a moment.

"Going into the Shadowlands, our best move is. To discover what this creature may be, find it, we must." he replied.

"Going into the Shadowlands is forbidden and dangerous. We must get approval from the council before moving forward." Chewbacca roared. "See the council, we will. Know more about the Shadowlands than I, they do. Know the best strategy, they will." the grandmaster stated as they approached the council chambers. Above them, the sun was beginning to peak over the tips of the wroshyr trees. When they were close enough, a silver and black Wookiee opened the door to welcome them. Chewbacca, Turffal, Yoda, Gungi, and Nahzalem passed through without a problem. However, both Shan and Dume were stopped.

"Your kind is not welcome here." the sentry told them. Dume brushed off the comment and tried to walk in anyway. The guard stepped in his way. "I said, you are not welcome here." he repeated.

"Come on Caleb. We'll go help Zak." Shan said, trying to tug him away. "But that's not fair! I want to watch!" he said grumpily. Sahrea sighed. "Caleb, drop it. Come with me." She tugged him away from the door. As they got farther away, Dume's protests were drowned out by the noises of the forest.

Yoda inched his way up through the crowd of ill at ease Wookiees to the council table in the back of the room. The council had provided a cushion and a tall chair for him to sit on. After all, the small Jedi only came up to their knees.

"Where is Consult Shan and Caleb, Master Yoda?" Nahzalem asked. "Explain to you later, I will. Now, silence is needed, young one."

\---

"I still don't see why everyone else got to go in and we didn't!" Dume whined. Shan let a puff of air through her nose. "You are still on this?"she asked as she moved to assist a trooper with a crate. She stuck her fingers under the one side and lifted it.

"Yes I am!" he said indignantly. Shan moved carefully towards the edge of the LAAT. She took a tentative step down onto the landing platform. "How much do... you know... about... the Wookiees?" she said through gritted teeth. It was a little heavier than she expected. Ok, a lot heavier. But she wasn't going to let Sergeant Marsh know that. So she sucked up the soreness in her fingers and the tension in her shoulders and toughed it out.

"They're big, hairy, and have bad tempers." Dume replied. Shan mustered up a little more strength to raise the crate up slightly to put it on top of the others. It landed on top and the two of them slid it into place.

"Thank you Fire Fang." Marsh said. "Anytime." she replied, rubbing her tender fingers. "See, that is why you can't judge things at first glance Caleb." Shan stretched out her arm muscles. "The Wookiees don't like humans. Well, they don't like outsiders at all really, but they especially despise people like us." she explained. "Why? I didn't do anything to them." he said. "You're right. You and I didn't do anything. However, the Wookiees have been brutalized for millennia. They have been enslaved more times than I can count, all by offworlders. Why should they trust us?" Shan asked him. Dume made a face. "I didn't know that." he said. "There are reasons why people do what they do Caleb. It's deeper than the surface. If someone believes something is right or wrong, if they are scared or untrustful, if they feel a certain way about something, there is a reason." she explained. "Now go help Lieutenant Ersh." Dume gave her a defiant look. "Go!" she commanded, pointing towards the clone that was setting up a portable comm tower. He muttered under his breath as he stalked away.

"Kids." Marsh said, shaking his head. Shan chuckled. "It's not his fault. He's at that age where you think you know everything, thus causing irritability and general grumpiness when told what to do." "Sounds like General Skywalker." Sahrea snorted out her nose, causing both to have a long bout of laughter.

"What's so funny?" Nahzalem's voice came from behind them. Far behind her, Yoda, Chewbacca, Gungi, and Tarfful were strolling along, chatting. "Nothing Ura. How was the meeting?" Shan asked. "It was... fun." she said slowly. "You had no idea what was going on did you?" "Nope, not a clue." Ura admitted. Shan gave the youngling a smile. "Between you and me, I can never pay attention in senate meetings either." she shared. The girl chuckled as Master Yoda and the others joined them. She composed herself as she noticed the Grandmaster. He was serious.

"Prepare yourself, you must, Consult and Younglings, for into the Shadowlands, we are headed."

\---

"I have a bad feeling about this." Dume said as they lowered down into the Shadowlands via rope and pulley. The basket they were in was worn, but still solid. As they descended, it got darker and darker. By the time they reached the floor, it was like night, even though the morning had just begun in the village.

They stepped out. Sergeant Marsh, Chewbacca, another Wookiee warrior named Rworarcc, and a squad of five clone troopers had gone first. Zak and a few other clones had stayed behind in the village to monitor their progress.

The search party congregated in the clearing they were in. Tarfful had stayed behind, for he could not leave the village unprotected. Two Wookiees sentries stood at attention next to the basket in front of two antique lighting fixtures.

"Let us go, shall we?" Yoda said as he motioned for the group to follow him deep into the thick. The Grandmaster hopped up onto Chewbacca's shoulder. An ancient, overgrown trail was their only guide. As they moved away from the clearing, the darkness thickened. The clones put on their headlamps and the Jedi ignited their sabers, turning the vicinity green, blue, and orange. The air was cold and thick with humidity.

"Keep quiet, we must. Avoid attracting unwanted attention, it will." the elderly Jedi said as they came across a blockage in the road. It was a tree. Yoda squatted and somersaulted over the fallen trunk. It had to be multiple feet across. Shan jumped up, but did not go over. She perched herself up on the top to help the others climb over. She reached her saber out and released it. It hung in mid-air as if it were on a stand, turning her armor a sunset color. She reached her hand down to Marsh. He took it, found a foot hold, and she pulled him up. He flipped his legs around and slid down on his back, landing on his feet. The rest of the clones did the same. Shan offered her hand to Rworarcc, but he gave a short bark and brushed her away, choosing to climb up awkwardly instead. Yoda could see her trying to cover her expression of hurt by dipping her head down. Her mouth was covered, but her eyes are what gave her away. Chewbacca, however, was hesitant. Yoda could sense him going back and forth for a moment, but ultimately decided to take her hand. The Gray's foot began to slide under the Wookiee's weight, but she repositioned herself. Chewbacca lumbered over the log and landed unexpectedly soft on the opposite side. Rworarcc gave him an irritated look. They began to softly argue in Shyriiwook.

Shan reached both of her hands down to help Nahzalem over. The young girl took them and Sahrea pulled her over. Poor Gungi had a little more difficulty. He was going too fast and kept losing his foothold. After a few failed attempts, Shan wrapped her arms around the adolescent Wookiee and picked him up. As for Dume, he shook his head disapproving before vaulting himself over in a Yoda style fashion. The Consult gave him a grumpy look as Gungi finally made it to the top of the trunk. He gave a happy couple of yips that warmed Yoda's old heart before Chewbacca helped him down. Shan snatched her saber and they kept moving.

"Thanks for helping Gungi over the log, Dume." Shan said behind Yoda. The Jedi looked over his shoulder at her. She was looking straight ahead. Her tone was even, but it had an undercurrent of sarcasm. "Gungi didn't need my help." Caleb replied simply, stealing a quick look at her out of the corner of his eye. Yoda was pleased. The fact she was correcting the youngling told him she was starting to take up the leadership role the council hope she would.

"Not the point." Sahrea said, looking at him. "You should stop and help your fellow comrades. We are in a war. We need to help each other, you can't just-" Shan cut off as they all took up attack positions. Everyone looked around, searching for the origin of the footsteps they had heard. The beams of the clones' headlamps flicked this way and that. The Force-users all put both hands on their sabers.

After a moment, a rustling in the brush came from their right. They stood statuesque, everyone's hearts pounding. Suddenly, a strange reptilian creature flew out from behind a tree at the nearest clone. It was huge, large enough for a Wookiee to ride. It had a pointed snout and a narrow body. A long, thin, yet powerful tail was swishing back and forth. The clone screamed as he hit the ground, his blaster flying from his hands. He reached up and grabbed its toothy muzzle. He struggled against it as it snapped at his neck.

"Ironside!" Marsh yelled. In unison, Yoda and Shan Force pushed the reptile off the trooper, slamming the creature into a thick tree. Chewbacca and Rworarcc shot at his chest with their famed Bowcasters, while the troopers peppered it with their own laser bolts. Although they all bounced off without a scratch, the monster growled at them intensely, clearly irritated. It reared up on its hind legs. It slammed the ground.

"Younglings, stay back!" Shan commanded, hopping in front of the children. Her comment was in response to Dume, who had lifted his blue saber and motioned like he was going to attack. "I had it!" Dume complained as Master Yoda flipped off Chewbacca's shoulder and dashed forward. "There will be plenty of time for you to be the hero, Caleb. Let us handle this for now." Shan told him. Yoda could sense that she was starting to get fed up with the youngling's impatient and reckless ways. The small Jedi jumped and cut upwards on the surface of its belly. The monster thrashed in pain before running off into the forest.

"You ok Ironside?" Marsh asked, offering his brother his hand. "Yea, I'm fine. Could be worse" he said as he stood up, brushing off his white, maroon adorned armor the best he could. "What was that?" another trooper asked. Chewbacca responded with a series of roars and barks.

"A katarn." he explained. "They were once feared by us Wookiees. We were hunted, as a leaflizard hunts wroshyr louse. Eventually, we fought back. We learned we were strong and mighty. We were no longer the hunted, but the hunters. Our rrackktor had been lit and has not dimmed since." said the Wookiee warrior.

Once they were certain that the Katarn was not coming back, they kept moving forward. The flora here was as dangerous as the fauna. If you didn't get tripped up by the thick roots or the ankle-breaking holes, the thorns and sticker bushes would certainly get you. Plus they were all cast in shadow, making it even harder to distinguish.

Everyone jumped as Rwoaracc grabbed Dume's arm and yanked him back. In his panic, he overestimated the boy's weight. The Wookiee pulled Dume off the ground and flung him up in the air. He yelled as Yoda caught him with the Force, dropping him gently onto the ground.

"What was that for?" Dume snapped, shoving himself to his feet indignantly. He stomped over to the Wookiee.

"I just saved your life, you ungrateful ferorc." Rworarcc growled. He bent over and picked up a rock. He threw it into a nearby bush, the one Dume was about to step in. It shuddered and rustled. Thorny vines shot up into the air swung violently. The leaves spread apart, revealing a mouth hole with a sharp, toothy sides. The hole was about four feet in diameter. The teeth chomped and bit. The vines stretched out from the center and checked the vicinity for prey. They retracted after a moment once the creature had settled down.

"What is that?" Marsh asked, horrified. "It is a shorracc. They are dangerous creatures that devour anything ignorant enough to step near them." Chewbacca explained. "Is it related to a sarlacc?" Shan asked. "They look very similar." "Yes. Shoraccs, sarlaccs, vixus, rathtars, among others, are all related." he explained. "All deadly." For once, Dume was quiet.

"How do you know what a sarlacc looks like Fire Fang?" Nahzalem asked, her curiosity getting the best of her. Shan gave her a surprised look. "Oh, umm, I had a run in on one, on Izylapath. It's similar to Tatooine, you know, sandy. I don't want to talk about it." She said sheepishly.

About an hour later, the sound of rushing water hit their ears through the darkness up ahead. It was a river. It was a strong one, but not overly violent. It had a good current to it. According to the map Rworarcc was carrying, it was called the Jeroahk River.

The water was murky. Small aquatic creatures dashed out of the light of the sabers and headlamps. Chewbacca roared to Master Yoda, who had walked since the Katarn attack. He nodded and hopped up onto the Wookiee's shoulder as they moved to cross it. Rworarcc offered to take Gungi over, who happily obliged. He and three of the clones stepped into the hip high current. Yoda looked at Nahzalem. She looked apprehensive, but didn't say anything as she marched bravely onto the bank of the Jeroahk. Marsh noticed this as well.

"Want to cross with me?" he asked the girl. "Ok. I don't want you to be scared." she replied timidly. "Do you want me to carry you, or do you want to walk?" "I can walk." she said. The Sergeant offered her his hand. Nahzalem took it and waded with him into the water. It came up to her chest.

"It's cold." Ura said as Shan and the rest of the convoy followed. Yoda had never heard the girl so quiet. She was usually full questions.

The river wasn't overly wide. In the light of his green saber, Yoda could see that the bottom was mostly mud with the occasional rock. Every so often, the occasional creature would swim around their legs.

"Ahh!" Nahzalem yelled as she slipped and fell under. Luckily Marsh was there to prevent her from getting washed away. He pulled her up quickly, the Twi'Lek responding with a fit of coughs. Teeth chattering, Ura clung onto Marsh as he carried her the rest of the way. As for Dume, he was trying to be tough, but was hiding his shivering hands. 

Chewbacca made it to the other side first his hairy legs dripping onto the dirt. A clone by the name of Bay knelt down and shoved off his pack once he got through successfully. He pulled out a blanket. He wrapped it around Nahzalem as she and Marsh stepped onto the bank.

"Well my armor's going to need a good scrubbing when we get back." Shan said, looking down at herself in the light of her orange saber. Her white and grey armor was full of dirt and leaves. From the waist down it was stained a brownish color. Her boots were caked in a thick layer of mud. Her hood was covered in green drips from the trees overhead, as were her legs. She also had a few mysterious blue, red, and yellow stains. "Yea, well you're not the only one Consult." Bay said. The clones armor did not look much better. They rested for a moment to dry off before continuing. Nahzalem tucked the blanket around herself as they walked.

"Quiet are you, Youngling Dume." Master Yoda said. He had been quiet for most of the search, keeping his thoughts open to the creature. He hadn't sensed it though. "Just, focused." he replied. Something was bothering the youngling, but Yoda didn't press it.

"Is that light up ahead?" One of the clones asked as he pointed up towards the end of the trail. "It is. What the hell?" Shan said, concerned. They deactivated their sabers and lamps as they approached it. It took a moment for their eyes to adjust.

"Whoa." Marsh said. Before them was a demolished area of forest. They were up on a hill looking down at the carnage. Tall ancient trees had been flattened. The darkness loving flora had shriveled up and died in the bright sunlight. Dirt that was once mud filled up the spaces between the fallen trunks. In the gaping hole, they could look up and see the angled face of a large mountain. The destroyed area went for clicks up the slope.

"What happened here?" Nahzalem asked as she waddled up in her blanket to the edge of the wound.

"Mudslide. Grueegho Mountain is known for them." he explained. "I have never seen one so large." "Look at the center." Shan pointed to something among the mass of horizontal logs. It was a sinkhole, a big one at that. "Look around, we must. Search thoroughly. Important this is, to finding the creature." Master Yoda said. He could sense that this mudslide had something to do with the monster they were hunting.

The clones fanned out. Gungi, Dume, and Nahzalem went off searching in their own direction, leaving Shan and Yoda to investigate with the Wookiees. Chewbacca was warming up slightly to the Gray, but Rworarcc refused to even look at her. Yoda could tell that it was bothering her, but would speak to her about in private.

The four worked their way carefully over to the hole. One tree was so large, Yoda and Sahrea had to jump on top of the log and lift the Wookiees over, Yoda raising Rworarcc and Shan raising Chewbacca. The two landed on the opposite side softly. The two Force users slid down to meet them. Rworarcc started walking immediately, not giving Shan even a glance.

"Thank you for your assistance." Chewbacca said awkwardly. He must have noticed her saddened demeanor. Master Yoda pretended not to listen to their conversation as he followed Rworarcc by examining at the surrounding scenery.

"Of course." she replied. "I apologize for my standoffishness and Rworarcc's rude behavior. We have had very negative interactions with off-worlders." he explained.

"You don't have to apologize Chewbacca. I should be apologizing to you for the actions of my people, but please know we aren't all like that." she told him. "Just like we all aren't like Rworarcc. It is nice to know there are a few good off-worlders out there, especially humans." she gave him a smile. "One of my few close friends growing up was a Wookiee. Her name was Keranok. We called her Kera. That's why I can understand Shyriiwook so well." Shan told him. "Do you have a family?" "I have a wife, Malatobuck and a son, Lumpawaroo." he told her. "That's sweet. I came to Kashyyyk only once before, to the village of Verisokk to look for Kera's parents. We stayed for-" Shan cut off her story due to roar from Rworarcc.

"Found something, Rworarcc has." Yoda said. He hopped up onto Chewbacca's shoulder again as they rushed over to the other Wookiee.

"Oh no." Shan said, her voice concerned. Just like Yoda, it wasn't the sinkhole she was worried about. It was the footprints coming out of the sinkhole. They were gigantic. If Shan laid down in the dirt, they would be as tall as her. There were also deep imprints at the toes, implying claws.

"What could make tracks like that?" she asked. "Not sure, I am. Deeper grows, this mystery does." Master Yoda said as their comm links blinked. "Uhh, General? You should see this." Marsh said on the other end.

They found the sergeant and the clones on the west of the clearing. They were all congregated around a large mass. As they got closer, Yoda could see that it was a Katarn, a dead Katarn. The only external sign of combet was a bite mark that created a semi-circle of bloody wounds on its sides. That was also likely its cause of death.

"That is a big bite from one big mouth." a clone stated, examining the body. "We found two others in the area sir, along with a few other large predators. All with similar wounds.  
He explained. "The creature must be massive to be able to kill the Katarns with such little force." Marsh said. "More dangerous than expected, this creature is. More and more concerning, this mystery is becoming." Master Yoda added. He was becoming increasingly uneasy with each new development. Chewbacca roared in agreement. Shan suddenly looked around.

"Where are the younglings?" Sahrea asked, scanning the clearing. "I'm not sure sir. I sent Volt after them when we lost visual." Marsh responded. "Dume, where are you?" she asked into her comm link. "Dume? Volt?" she repeated, more urgently this time. "Consult Shan?" Nahzalem's voice came. "Ura! Where are you guys?" "I'm not sure. Trooper Volt and I are trying to find our way back. We got separated from Gungi and Caleb when some strange creatures attacked us. Trooper Volt got them to leave." she explained. "They were a small, jumpy things." 

"It was likely a group of tachs." Chewbacca said. Shan dropped her head back and sighed irritably. "Ok, do not leave Volt's side. We'll figure something out and come find you." Shan said.

"Search for the padawans, you shall. Help you, Chewbacca and Captain Marsh will. Continue the investigation, the rest of us will." Yoda said. "Alright Master." Shan said. She waved the clone and Wookiee on. "Come on guys. Let's go find the younglings.


	4. Hunt on Kashyyyk Pt. 2

"Gungi, quiet down!" Dume chastised as he and the little Wookiee frantically looked for the clearing they had ran from. So far all they saw were trees and knee high brush. They had their lightsabers out as they ran, the forest flickering green and blue with each stride. Gungi whimpered behind him. He wasn't exactly known around the temple for his courage.

Dume looked down at the comm on his wrist. It had been damaged by one of those stupid monkey type creatures. They could use Gungi's, but those little pests had pulled his right off his wrist and taken off. into the darkness "We will find them, so stop worrying. You're making me more anxious."

"Which way do we go?" Gungi asked as they approached a cliff side. It was about fifty feet high and made of a silvery rock filled with small, reflective bits that shown bright in the saber light. "How should I know?" he snapped. He looked to his right. Dume softened a bit when he saw Gungi's face. Illuminated in green light, he was terrified. He sighed. His friend was relying on him and Caleb couldn't let him down, especially here. "It'll be ok, I promise." he told him, putting a hand on Gungi's hairy shoulder. "Let's go left."

They started sprinting in that direction, hurdling over bushes and trees alike. In the back of his mind, Dume desperately hoped he didn't accidentally step on one of those shorlacc creatures. That thing scared him senseless. He put his hands to a small, moist log and swung his legs over it. He ran a few more paces before stopping short as something big walked in their path ahead of them. 

"Ok Gungi." Dume started as he took a few steps backwards, heart pounding. "Not a sound. We are going to- ahh!" he yelled as the youngling plowed into his back. They both fell face first into the dirt in a tangle of legs, sabers, and hair. It took them both a moment to get their bearings. 

"Get off... of me." Caleb said through clenched teeth, shoving the Wookiee to the side. Both of their sabers had flung from their hands. They had deactivated, drenching the two in inky darkness. 

"No, no, no..." Dume muttered under his breath as he rolled onto his stomach. They frantically felt around in the damp dirt for the hilts as the footsteps of that creature got closer and closer. Dume's fingers brushed against everything they possibly could, except for his lightsaber: rocks, fungi, grasses, dirt. He sucked in a breath as some small creepy crawly bit into his index finger. His heart leapt as a twig snapped only feet away from them now. 

Gungi gave a yip as he found his saber. He ignited the green blade. He made some alarmed Wookiee sounds as he pointed towards the monster ahead of them, dangerously close now. It was a Katarn. It zoned its vision in on them.

"Blast it!" Dume cursed. He looked down and spotted his hilt. He squatted down and grabbed his saber out from under a bush. He pressed the button with his thumb, the blue blade bursting to life. The Katarn threw its head and charged at them, its feet sending small vibrations into the earth.

"We can take him. Its just a matter of timing. I'll count off. You go low, I go high." Dume said, surprising himself with how calm he sounded. If he was being honest, he was more trying to convince himself than Gungi. 

The two stood still, waiting for the optimal moment. Caleb pulled his eyes away from the Katarn's teeth for just a moment to check on Gungi. He was surprised, even more so impressed, at what he saw. He had expected the young Wookiee to be wallowing in fear, trembling from head to toe like he sometimes did. Instead he had a determined look on his face. His grip on his saber was strong and full of confidence. Caleb wish he had some of that right now. All he had to rely on was the rapid pace of his heart.

"One." Dume counted off as the creature got closer. He slid his right leg back, placing his boot firmly in the dirt. "Two." he dropped his arm so his saber blade was behind him, pointing to out to the side. "Three." they both took off running. 

Dume launched himself up into the air. At the apex, he lifted his saber and angled it downwards. As he fell, he aimed straight for the Katarn's back. The saber entered the side of its rib cage. The creature screamed. It stumbled to the side before bucking him off. For such a large creature, it seemed to not have a high pain tolerance. 

Caleb hit the ground. Hard. It knocked the wind out of him. Struggling to catch his breath, he rolled onto his side, inhaling loudly. Through his speckled vision, he saw that Gungi was slashing at the Katarn. He was going a good job too. The creature shot its head out, teeth snapping as he attempted to bite him. The little Wookiee rolled to the side acrobatically, completely missing its teeth. He stood up and cut into its face. The Katarn cried out and swatted at him in anger. Gungi managed to avoid the first swing, but got caught in a sticker bush in the process.

"Gun... Gungi!" Dume attempted to yell. The words came out a hoarse whisper though. As the Katarn pulled its paw back for a second blow, Caleb raised his hand to Force push it away. He was too late though. By the time he mustered the strength to push it, the claw had already connect with Gungi, sending him flying.

"No!" Dume yelled, horrified. His voice had returned somewhat. The Katarn flew backwards into tree. It didn't get up. The creature shook its head and looked around, dazed. As for Dume, he crawled over to the young Wookiee's unconscious form.

"Hey, hey, you ok?" Dume asked, shaking his shoulder imperatively. He bit his lip as blood dripped from Gungi's hair onto the dirt near his knee. His back was already soaked with it. "Please, Gungi, answer me!" He begged. His friend stirred after a moment. Caleb released a breath he didn't realize he was holding.

"Did we get it?" Gungi asked weakly. "Yea, we got it. We kicked its butt." Dume said with a relieved smile. "Good. That was terrifying. I liked it." he replied. Dume managed a chuckle despite his anxiety. "Can you stand? We need to find the others and get moving before that Katarn gathers its strength again." "I should be able to walk." Gungi stated, getting up painfully. Dume slid an arm under his shoulders. The initiate looked to the Katarn. "Should we kill it?" He asked. Caleb looked to the creature. "No. It is no longer attacking us. There is no need. To kill it is not the Jedi way." he explained. He looked away from the Katarn. "Let's get moving."

\---

"Still cold Ura?" Volt asked the youngling. "A little." She replied quietly. The girl had been shivering the entire time since they crossed the river. Her robes were still soaked and the blanket was beginning to fill up with water. "Stop a second." the clone said as he dropped his bag. He rifled around in it for a moment before pulling out a fresh blanket for her. He swapped it out. He wrung out the dripping cloth and weaved it in the straps of his pack so that it would dry quicker and without soaking the contents of his bag. 

They had been lingering in the same spot for ten minutes like they were told, awaiting Consult Shan, Captain Marsh, and Commander Chewbacca so they could retrieve them. Volt sat down on the ground and leaned his back against a tree. He took off his helmet to reveal the face of Jango Fett, with a few personalized touches. His hair was bleached blond and combed back. It fell to the nape of his neck. He had his name written in Aurebesh along his jawline. He had a tattoo on the side of his throat. It was the kihtrin's talons. They represented bravery. 

The trooper plopped his maroon painted helmet next to his leg and leaned his head back against the bark of the wroshyr. He needed a nap. Nahzalem was looking around with her blue saber, jumping at each sound. She was a lot different from when they first landed. Then she had been peppy and energetic, only stopping her flow of questions to take a breath. Here, she barely said a word. He suspected her icy, waterlogged robes had something to do with it. The air may have been warm, but that water was chilly. Volt adjusted the angle of his helmet so that the headlamps would light more of the immediate area.

Nahzalem sat down next to him and scooched close. He put an arm around her, trying to warm the little girl up. His other hand held his blaster, his finger on the trigger. They sat in silence, listening to the sounds of the forest. Kashyyyk would be beautiful if everything here didn't want to kill you. Even the Wookiees could rip your arms off with one pull if they wanted to.

Volt tensed as he heard something walking very careful like in the brush in front of him. The footsteps told him it had multiple feet. The creature was also small and light. He raised his blaster rifle up with one hand. He scanned the plant.

He shot blindly as a large, spider-like creature leapt out of the bush at him. He hit it a few times, but it kept coming. It charged pinchers first at his face.

"I... hate... this... planet!" He said, putting his hand around its throat. Its was about the length of his blaster. Ura grabbed her saber and stabbed the monster. It flipped over on its back and its legs curled up. Volt kicked it away.

"I can not wait to go back to the village." He breathed, bumping his head against the trunk. Nahzalem curled up against him again. They were quiet for a minute.

"What's it like, having so many brothers?" She asked him. "Honestly kid, I can't really explain it. With the exception of the Kaminoans and a few off-worlders, I grew up with everyone looking exactly like me. Its normal." He explained. "But you have millions of brother you will never meet. Isn't that sad?" He sighed. "It is. That's why I just worry about my platoon. It's easier to focus on protecting a few than them all." Nahzalem was quiet again. "What will you do after the war?" Her question stung him. That was a topic that was increasing in frequency in the barracks. What would happen to them when this all ended? They were soldiers, born and bred. There isn't much use for soldiers without a war. He supposed they would be dealt with like the rest of the weapons. They'd be put away for future use or until they rusted and were no longer functionable. He didn't say this though.

"I think I would like to train new cadets." He said. "Put some of my training to good use." Nahzalem readjusted herself under his arm. "I think I would like to be guardian and be trained as a healer." She said. "I've been talking to Master Roariata and she said that-" They cut off again as a more rustling came from the woods beyond. Nahzalem raised her saber hilt and waved the blue blade. Volt raised his blaster. There were multiple footsteps now, quick ones. A strange growl came from the forest, one they recognized. As they lowered their weapons, Shan, Marsh, and Chewbacca appeared from the trees. Volt got stiffly to his feet.

"Sorry to interrupt your vacation Volt." Marsh said, slapping a hand on his brother's shoulder. "Ehh, who needs it. I was getting bored anyway." the clone replied. Chewbacca looked down at the creature Nahzalem killed.

"You are lucky. This wyyyschokk is a young one. It still had much growing to do." He said. "That was a baby? Damn, I wouldn't want to run into an adult." Volt said, vaulting the carcass into the bushes away from their spot with his foot. He picked up his helmet. He made sure nothing was hiding in it before pulling it on. Ura was shivering less now, thankfully. Shan dropped a hand on Nahzalem's head. "I'm glad we found you guys. We heard your blaster fire and were able to get here faster." She said. "Come on, let's go search for the boys."

\---

Master Yoda examined the creature's trail from Ironside's shoulder as they walked. It was unlike any tracks he had ever seen. Bay had taken a digital cast so that they could send it off to the Jedi Temple when they returned to Burohanaa Village. Chewbacca and Tarfful had come from Rwookrrorro to investigate. They chose Burohanaa because it was right in the thick of the attacks.

Rworarcc was quiet. His bowcaster was out. Yoda could sense tension from the Wookiee warrior. This creature had him spooked.

"The trail ends here sir." Trooper List said. He was right. The creature dug a hole and borrowed deep underground.

"Know something new, now we do. Underground, it lives. Disturbed by the mudslide, it may have been. Come up from the sinkhole, it could have." The general said. Rworarcc looked down at a device.

"It is past mid-day, Master Yoda. We should head back. If you think it is dangerous now, wait until true night falls." He said. "Agree with you, I do. Retrieve the others and return to the village, we shall."

\---

"See if you can do anything with this, will ya?" Dume said, handing Gungi his comm. He had a few bandages on him, but it wasn't nearly enough for the claw wounds on his back. Even now Caleb could see red starting to leak through. He swallowed. Dume was worried about his friend. What if the Katarn had poison? What if he bled out? What if it gets infected? He took a breath. He had to focus on finding Master Yoda and Consult Shan. Then he could worry about those things.

Dume adjusted his saber so that Gungi could see the comm better from the ground. He never was good with tech. He knew the basics, but he was no engineer. Gungi was much more talented than him in that department. The young Wookiee took the backing off and looked at the wires. A few were sliced in half. One of the small circuit boards had a hole in it. He gazed at it, perplexed, before starting to fiddle with the mechanisms.

Dume didn't like standing still. He was worried that something would pop out at him again. Those monkey things weren't overly vicious, unlike the katarn, but they moved in numbers and jumped you all at once. It was a chaos of tiny paws, claws, and tails, ripping at you from all sides, at your face, your clothes, your arms, everything.

Gungi gave a satisfied bark as he put two of the wires together. A small spark erupted before the comm weakly returned to life. He kept pulling them apart and back together. A voice came through on the other end.

"Gung... eb... tha... ok? Wh... ou..." it said. "That sounds like Sahrea! Whatever you're doing, keep it up!" Dume said excitedly. Shan's voice kept cutting in and out before the comm died out completely. "Well, they know we're alive." Dume said. "We just gotta find them. Come on!" Gungi shook his head. "If they got my signal, they may have been able to track it and get a relative location. Therefore, we should stay where we are so we don't lose them again." He said. Caleb wanted to protest, but he knew Gungi was right. So he sat down in the grass and leaves next to his Wookiee friend.

"How are you feeling?" He asked. He felt guilty that Gungi had gotten hurt on his watch. He was the padawan, he was the more experienced one. He should be watching out for him. It was his job to make sure he didn't get hurt, and Dume failed at that. Gungi replied softly after a moment. 

"It hurts, but I will be ok. I am starting to get tired though." He admitted. That made Dume uneasy. He hoped that the fatigue was from all the walking and fighting and not that something was wrong. Caleb desperately wished that Shan or Yoda would pop out from behind a tree already. They didn't.

They sat for long, drawn out minutes in the light of their sabers. The darkness was terrifying. There was their little bubble of light, then a few feet of shadows, then black. The trunks of the trees weren't even visible in that inky soup. That wasn't the bad part though. That belonged the rustling and footsteps. It was constant. Most of the creatures shied away from their light, but Dume knew there were plenty of fauna out there that were not so cowardly.

"Do not worry." Gungi said. "I'm not worried." Caleb replied, defensive. "I can sense your fear. We will be alright." Dume nodded at him over his shoulder. He dropped his knees to the ground and closed his eyes. He focused and began to meditate, just like Master Yoda. He could sense all of the energy shifting, this way and that. The darkness that surrounds a creature poised to kill. The light that surrounds a nest of newborns. The rushing of the Jeroahk River far away. He could even sense the small creatures that had burrowed their way deep below the ground. There, far out, he sensed something... familiar. It was familiar and safe. Sahrea Shan.

"I sense her, I sense Shan!" Dume said excitedly. "She's not far, come on!" He shoved himself to his feet. "No, we should stay!" Gungi disagreed, his fear rising. "Trust me Gungi. Please." The Wookiee looked apprehensive, but pushed himself to his feet anyway. His bandages were starting to fill up with blood. They needed to find Shan, fast. "This way!" Caleb said. They disappeared into the brush.

\------------

"Master Yoda!" Shan said, dropping her saber. Yoda gave a laugh through his nose. "Yes, yes, only me, it is." He replied. "Found Trooper Volt and Ura, have you?" He motioned towards the duo. Volt had picked her up and had been carrying her the whole way. "Yes we have, but we're still looking for Dume and and Gungi." the Gray said, worry coloring her voice. "No need for that, there is. Find us, will they." Yoda replied. Shan gave him a confused look. "They'll find us?" She asked incredulously. "Well ok. You're the grandmaster." She stated based on his smug look.

"True night is falling quickly. Beasts more dangerous than those we have faced so far will come out to feed. We must move with haste." Rworarcc urged. "Have no fear, my friend. Find us, the padawans will. Quite soon, in fact." Yoda repeated. "Uhh, how soon is soon sir?" Ironside asked.

"Consult Shan!" Dume's voice said behind them. "Apparently very!" Sahrea exclaimed. "Are you two ok?" She asked, rushing to their sides. She dropped to her knees and hugged them both.. Dume gave her a guilty face as she pulled away. "Yes, I am, but we were attacked by a Katarn. We managed to get away, but Gungi got cut. He's bleeding out, Sahrea." Shan made a face as she examined the bandages. "We're heading back to the village now anyway. We can treat the wounds when we get there."

\----------------

"Ahh!" Shan screamed as she flipped out of her hammock. She fell onto Chewbacca, who had made the now bad choice of sleeping below her. The commander was very startled at first, but found it funny after a moment. "I'm glad you find this funny." she told him snarkily. She heard the three younglings trying to suppress their laughter.

"Now what the hell was that for?" the Gray yelled angrily at Rworarcc. She had been sleeping peacefully a moment before when the warrior had come bursting in. He slammed the door against the wall and roared at the top of his lungs. This scared the life out of Sahrea, thus explaining why she was now sharing a hammock with a Wookiee. She pushed herself up and flopped ungracefully onto the floor.

"There has been another attack. At Kachirho Beach."


	5. The Hunt on Kashyyyk Pt. 3

"Ahh!" Shan screamed as she flipped out of her mesh hammock. She fell onto Chewbacca, who had made the now bad choice of sleeping below her. The commander was very startled at first, but found it funny after a moment. "I'm glad you find this amusing." she told him snarkily. She heard the three younglings trying to suppress their laughter from the other side of the room.

"Now what the hell was that for?" the Gray yelled angrily at Rworarcc. She had been sleeping peacefully a moment before when the warrior had come bursting in, letting in the soft morning sunlight. He had slammed the door against the wall and roared at the top of his lungs. This scared the life out of Sahrea and caused her to jump awake, thus explaining why she was now sharing a hammock with a Wookiee. She pushed herself off of Chewbacca's hairy being and flopped ungracefully onto the floor. She swiped her long blonde locks out of her eyes. Rworarcc looked terrified.

"There has been another attack. At Kachirho Beach." 

They got ready to move immediately.

\---

"Well whatever this creature is, it certainly did a number on this village." Zak said as he gazed at the carnage before him as he followed Master Yoda and a female Wookiee to the water's edge. There were huts with varying degrees of damage, from a few scratches to leveled to the ground. Soft dirt was turned over, creating a large wound in the center of the water side village. Trees had been snapped in two. Broken wood and ripped up grasses created a thick layer over the mud. It looked like a battalion of droids had ransacked through here.

"There." the female Wookiee said, pointing down at the murky waves lapping onto the sand. There were giant footprints like the ones coming out of the sinkhole that led into the bay. "That's where the monster disappeared to." she explained. "So it's aquatic and lives underground?" Zak mused. "More mysterious, this creature becomes, with each new piece of information, hmm?" Master Yoda remarked. Zak was becoming concerned. If the general, who had been alive for almost nine hundred years, found this creature interesting, well, Force help them.

"General Yoda!" an unfamiliar Wookiee roar said behind them. The clone and Jedi turned to see an unknown female with gold and black fur running to greet them. She had a text so ancient in her hands it was written on parchment.

"I am Chakhoro, the High Historian." she introduced. "I think I may know what this creature is." Chakhoro began flipping through the text. She stopped about halfway through the middle. A reprint of a graphite drawing was there. It was of a large, serpent like creature. It had legs that it could fold into its body so it could slither through woods or water effortlessly. Two bent antennae topped its head. It had six eyes and large, toothy mouth. Its back was made up of hard rings which shrunk into a finned tail. From the scales on the drawing, it was roughly the size of an LAAT gunship, maybe even larger.

"I believe the creature is the Nwarak Serpent. It is believed to be extinct. The last known sighting of one was four hundred years ago." Chakhoro told them in Shyriiwook. Yoda rubbed his chin. "Complicates things, this does. Speak with Consult Shan, I must." the elderly general muttered. Zak followed him to where the Gray Jedi was standing. She was with the Jedi learners and an important looking Wookiee over by a comms tower. Gungi was with them, his torso wrapped in gauze. The scratches hadn't been too severe and some bacta cleared them right up. They asked him to stay behind and rest, but the little Wookiee was insistent that he was fine and able to help. The historian excused herself to go speak with a group of Wookiees near the water's edge. The remaining two made their way slowly over to the group.

"We think we know what has been ravaging the forest." Zak said as they came to a stop. "Something called the Nwarak Serpent. Hasn't been seen in hundreds of years, the historian said." This took the important looking Wookiee by surprise. As for Shan, she put a hand to her chin. "If it's endangered, there is no way we can kill it. It's unethical." she stated. The Wookiee cut in.

"I am Shoriwook, the leader of this village. There is no way this creature can be left alive. It has attacked our homes, killed our wildlife, and endangered our people. As we speak, many citizens of Kachirho are being treated for injuries. This can not stand." he said, anger lacing his voice. Shan opened her mouth sharply to respond, but a lift of Yoda's hand cut her off.

"Against the Jedi Code, that is. To protect all life, our job is, especially if endangered." he explained. Shoriwook growled back angrily. "I do not care what your code states. I want that creature's head." Shan tapped her fingers on her forearms irritably. "Why should we kill it when removing may be the solution?" She replied. Shoriwook fixed her with a dangerous stare. Shan held his gaze. "My word is final."

"But your word is not the one that matters." The group turned to see Tarfful striding up behind them. "It is mine. Have a good day Shoriwook." he replied shortly. Shoriwook moved to open his mouth, but what cut off by Tarfful again. "Have a good day." Shoriwook bit back words and stomped off.

"He does have a point though." Dume said once the angry Wookiee was out of earshot. Shan turned to him. "Excuse me?"

"It's attacking villages and killing the wildlife!" Dume rebutled. Shan gave him a look that immediately made the padawan back down. "We don't know why though. It lives underground. Perhaps it's just lost and confused and doesn't mean to cause any problems. We will know when we find it." Shan said, shutting him down immediately. Master Yoda cut in. "Prepare yourselves, young ones. Off to find the Nwarak, we are." 

\---

"May I ask you a question?" Shan asked as they walked along. They had returned Shadowlands to search for the Nwarak. They were in the thickest part of the forest. The light from their sabers barely made a dent in darkness beyond. Master Yoda gave her a look out of the corner of his eye. "Bothering you, something is Consult?" She gripped her right wrist. "Why did you ask me to come along?" she asked meekly. Yoda gave a little chuckle through his nose. The Gray was confident and self-assured in her abilities, but was still self-conscious when it came to the opinions of others. "Speaks highly of you, Master Kenobi does. Choose you, because curious about how you moved in the field, I was. " Her cheeks turned a little pink at that first comment. She opened her mouth to speak, but something caught both of their attention. They, along with Nahzalem, Dume, and Gungi, all snapped their heads in the same direction.

"Do you guys sense that too?" Ura asked, her voice small. "Yes, we do." Shan replied softly. Her voice was dreamlike and faraway. Sahrea offered her arm to Master Yoda. He hopped up onto her shoulder as she took off running. Yoda held on tightly as she waded through the brush, the twigs and thorns catching at her clothes. He could hear the footsteps of the rest of her crew behind them. The creature was close. Shan skidded to a stop as an ancient tree cracked in front of the two. It fell, slowly at first, before picking up speed. It was so large that when it hit the dirt, the entire rumbled like a miniature earthquake. Shan stutter stepped to keep her balance. Yoda's footing on her armor slipped and he almost fell into the brush below. He looked up at the dark, moving mass in front of them. The Jedi Master was grim.

"Found the creature, we have." Yoda said. They both immediately ignited their sabers.

"Younglings, stay back and protect the Wookiees and clones!" Shan said into her comm link. Yoda hopped down before they launched themselves onto the back of the Nwarak. Shan took an experimental slice at its back as she landed. Her saber penetrated the armored skin, but barely. The Nwarak threw its head up and attempted to buck the two Force-users off its back. Sahrea looked up as Master Yoda focused on a nearby tree, holding on to the Nwarak's back with one hand and reaching out towards the trunk with the other. Below them, the Clones and Wookiees peppered the serpent's side with laser bolts. Shan had a feeling that they were more a nuisance than anything. The Grandmaster clenched his small green hand into a fist and pulled it to his chest. The tree cracked. It stood for a moment before falling. It slammed onto the Nwarak. Shan immediately understood.

"I'll try to keep it steady!" she shouted. The Gray sprinted up its neck. When she reached the top of the head, she flipped into the air, landing in front of the serpent. She dodged to the side as it snapped at her. All she could see were long, sharp teeth shaded orange and silver from her blades. Leaving the sabers hanging in the air, Sahrea lifted her hands and tried to hold the beast still through the Force. She looked over her shoulder as a few words caught her attention. There was no one there. Shan refocused. She reached out to the Nwarak again, using the Force to hold it still as a second tree dropped onto its back. Shan didn't turn her head as that voice rose again.

What is that? she thought. The voice, it wasn't human or Wookiee, not did it represent any language she had ever heard before. Then it struck her: it was the serpent. She released her hold on it as a third tree landed on it. The sound was one of pain. She stepped back confusedly.

"Stand down." she said into her comm. "Did you say stand down sir?" Volt replied. "Yes, stand down." The fourth trunk fell, pinning in the creature on both sides. Yoda hopped down to join. He gave a little chuckle.

"Figured it out, have you?" he said as he slowly made his way to her side. "Of course you knew it was Force-Sensitive." she replied. He laughed through his nose again. "Helps it does, to figure things out for oneself, hmm?" The Nwarak struggled and writhed against the trees pinning it in. The serpent's body convulsed as a splitting sound was heard. Six pointed legs unfolded and dug into the soft dirt.

"Padawans, come here! Help us calm the beast!" Shan shouted into her comm link. She and Master Yoda reached out to the creature with the Force in an attempt to calm it. They shut their eyes. Shan could feel everything the serpent felt, like rushing water. Fear, pain, sadness. Surprisingly, no anger or hatred. From behind her closed lids, she heard the younglings come up beside them. After a moment, the thrashing quieted. The creature's anxiety calmed. Sahrea opened her eyes. The Nwarak stopped moving. It instead watched them curiously with large, bug like eyes. It blinked, its head bobbing back and forth. Shan looked to Yoda. The elderly grandmaster was peering up at her, a statement in that gaze. She tapped her chest in a You want me to talk? fashion. He nodded, sending his ears bobbing up and down. Shan stepped forward. 

"Hello." she said meekly. What did one say to ancient, Force sensitive serpent? The Nwarak watched her, interest in its eyes. "Why are you here?" she asked. The serpent lowered its head to her eye level. It flicked its tongue out at her. Its head moved side to side slowly, assessing her.

"There was nothing usual." it explained. "Then the world shook. High above, cracks appeared in the dark. I was trapped in a blinding, searing substance, one I haven't felt for hundreds of years. I ran, desperate to get away from the sunlight. Into the forest I went." the serpent said. Its voice spoke not in their ears, but in their minds. Shan stepped forward, reaching out to the serpent. The Nwarak was hesitant at first, but nosed her gloved hand.

"Get you home, we will." Yoda said behind her. "How can I trust you? I have seen my brothers and sisters slaughtered by you light dwellers." it responded, its voice sounding like a hiss of steam. "You have our word." Shan said. It stared at her again, that gaze breaking her down to nothing. "You are the first to understand my language. I will follow you."

\---

"Well this is a first for me." Bay said as the squadron marched along. Behind them, the Nwarak serpent slid soundlessly through the thicket. The Clones and Wookiees stood down as commanded, but none were at ease. Shan smiled a hidden smirk. "I think this is a first for all of us, trooper." she said. To her left, Dume walked on auto-pilot, deep in his thoughts. Sahrea couldn't help but notice that he seemed different now. Something happened when Gungi got injured. She focused in on his emotions, though outwardly she was staring straight ahead at Chewbacca's back. She picked apart what he was feeling until she got to the source. There it was, plain as day. She would have to teach the padawan how to guard his emotions better from others. The Sith would have a field day.

"Don't feel guilty." she said. Caleb snapped his head up, surprised. "I don't feel guilty." he replied defensively. Dume's shoulders sagged as Shan raised an eyebrow at him. "Ok, maybe I do. I'm the more experienced one. I should have protected him better. It should have been me." he explained. Shan was quiet a moment.

"You have to learn to detach yourself from a situation. Take your emotions out of it and look at the bigger picture." she explained. "Let's say your scenario happened, you were the one to be injured. Would Gungi, being less experienced, have been able to kill the katarn?" she asked him. The question played across his eyes. "Likely not." he replied. "See? It is not your fault. You saved Gungi. You couldn't control what that katarn did." she said. Shan didn't think it was possible for one scenario to mature someone so quickly, but here was Caleb Dume. He was no longer the impatient, glory-seeking kid they had landed with. "This is a learning experience Caleb." she said. He was ready. He would be placed with a master after this, she was certain.

In front of them, sunlight trickled in, drying out all of the damp, darkness loving flora. The perimeter was brown with the crisp corpses of the plants. It was silent. All of the fauna, even the small buzzing creatures, were far away from the warm light.

"I can not be in the light for very long. You must open the passage so that I can enter immediately." the serpent hissed. "We will." Shan said over her shoulder. Master Yoda turned and gave her a sly smile from Rworarcc's shoulder.

"So, you just hear that thing speaking in your head?" Bay asked as he stepped beside her. "Something like that. I hear it speaking in its own language, but am able to understand it. It's hard to explain." she said. "I'll take your word on it Consult." the clone replied. The Nwarak stopped as they came upon the clearing.

"I can go no further." it said. Master Yoda hopped to the ground. "Time it is for us to help our new friend home, hmm?"

—

It took all five of the Force-users, Wookiees, and clones to make a hole large enough for the serpent to fit through. The Wookiees and clones were digging through the smaller pieces of rubble while Shan, Yoda, and the others lifted the larger rocks through the Force. It was tedious work. Half way through, part of the ground collapsed in on itself, injuring three clones and pushing their progress back a few hours. The sun was low in the sky by the time they finished. A hole large enough for the Serpent had been made. They returned to the Nwarak.

"Thank you my friends. You are the first light-dwellers who have shown any kindness to me. It will not be forgotten." it said. Shan walked up and put a hand on its nose. "We will not forget you either. We will make sure you are protected." Chewbacca roared in agreement. "Thank you as well, mighty Wookiee." it said. Shan stepped away.

The Nwarak readjusted its body before it darted out. Its back almost immediately blistered in the sun. It dove into the hole, its long scaly body gliding into the darkness below. Shan made a motion with her hand. Dume, Nahazalem, Gungi, and Yoda all followed her out into the clearing.

"Three, two, one, now!" Shan said. The five of them reached out and recollapsed the hole, burying the Nwarak Serpent deep below the surface of Kashyyyk.

\---

"Thank you for all of your help." Chewbacca told them as they packed up to return to Coruscant. "Of course. We were happy to help." Shan said. "What about Shoriwook?" Nahzalem asked. "I'll deal with his anger." the Wookiee replied.

"Everything is packed up and ready to go sir." Zak said. "Coming now, are we Captain." Yoda said. "It was nice to meet you Commander Chewbacca!" Nahzalem said. She waved and darted off towards the LAAT. Gungi gave Chewbacca a hug before following Ura. "I'm glad we were able to help." Dume said sheepishly. "Thank you for helping us." Chewbacca roared in response. He turned to leave the Consult and General. 

"One moment Padawan Dume." Shan said. Caleb stopped. "Placed with a master, you will be." Yoda said. Dume's face began to express excitement, but he shut the emotion down quickly. "Fit you well, Master Depa Billaba will. Teach you much, she can. More of this we will speak on, when to Coruscant, we return." Yoda said. Caleb dipped his head, hiding his elation.

"It was nice to meet you Chewbacca." Sahrea said. "My friends call me Chewie." he replied. Shan smiled. "Well, then it was nice to meet you, Chewie." the Wookiee laughed in response. "I am glad there are still kind off worlders out there. I hope to see you again, Sahrea Shan." Chewie turned to Yoda. "Thank you." Yoda dipped his head. "Hope to see you soon, I do, mighty Chewbacca, under happier circumstances. Be with you, the Force will be." They boarded the gunship. Chewbacca roared and pounded his fist against his chest as they ascended away.


	6. Stranded on Canarath Pt 1.

"Well this went very poorly, very fast!" Obi-Wan Kenobi yelled as he gripped onto the handles for dear life. It was supposed to be a simple mission; Go reinforce Master Plo, who had been ambushed by General Tal Rohna and the Separatist fleet. Easy. Then Grievous came to reinforce Rohna. Not so easy. Then Plo's capital ship got boarded. A little more difficult. So they boarded a LAAT gunship and headed for the ship, but were shot down in the process by a Vulture droid. Not good. Now they were they were aflame and about to crash on an unknown planet. Poorly indeed.

"Hold on everyone!" Sahrea Shan screamed over the whine of the damaged engine. The back end of the ship was radiating heat from the fire. A large jump of turbulence as they entered the atmosphere threw all of the soldiers amuck. As the gunship took a sharp dive downwards, a few clones slid down towards the cockpit. Cody stood steadfast next to Kenobi, absorbing each knock of the floor. Shan was holding on fine until one of the clones fell into her. The handle was yanked from her gloved fingers and she lost her footing. The Gray went airborne as the LAAT gave another lurch and she was tossed to the front of ship. Kenobi and Cody reached out and caught her before she slammed onto the metal wall.

"Thanks for the save you two!" she yelled. She grabbed onto Kenobi's handle, two of her fingers gripping tightly to his hand. She braced herself against the side of the ship. There were no windows, so they had no idea how close they were to the ground, just the feeling of endless falling.

"We're getting close to the surface!" the pilot called. "It's not gonna be pretty! Prepare yourselves!" the ship gave another heave, roughly sending Shan into Kenobi's side. Their eyes caught each other as something solid hit the starboard side. Then things happened too quickly for Obi-Wan to process thoroughly. There was the loud shredding of metal. A flash of gold and white armor. The smell of something burning. A blinding light above him. A feeling of flight. No, not flight. Him being thrown. Kenobi reached out instinctively. His body landed on a ground that was hard and rocky. His ears were ringing, even with the protective implants. He laid there for a moment, assessing his body.

Eyes still closed, he started by wiggling his fingers. They took the least amount of energy. Then he rolled his ankles. They were fine. Opening his eyes, he adjusted his elbows to push himself up. There was the pain. Nothing broken, but his wrists and shoulders argued irritably with the movement. His knees did as well. He stared down at his armored arms and hands. They were spread out over red clay soil. A few drops of blood splattered onto the dirt from his left cheek. He took a deep breath and subconsciously gasped at the pain, which in turn created another stab. Broken ribs. Great. He remembered the last time he broke them. This time he could tell it was worse. A hand landed softly on his lower back.

"General, are you alright sir?" CC-2224 asked. It was Cody, his unwavering, unflinching commander. Always Cody. Obi-Wan instantly had a flashback to the Second Battle of Geonosis. He snapped his head up, his neck barking back. He calmed a little as he realized this was not Geonosis. The land was too red, too flat. He began to stand up.

"I'll be fine. Thank you Cody." he said painfully. He looked around. They had landed in a canyon. Crimson walls of terracotta reached high above them, fencing them in. There were no plants to be seen. There was an occasional boulder. Up above, there were white clouds against a pale orange sky. The battle overhead was visible, the tiny shots of lasers, the capital ships looking like toys, the fighters zipping back and forth. It looked so small from here. He focused ahead of him as a trooper shouted to him.

"One of the pilots is still alive!" he called. The ship was twenty feet away from him. It was burning, sending a giant smoke signal up in the sky for the Separatists to follow.

"Move!" the Republic General shouted. The clone listened. He used the Force to rip the cockpit off the ship. The trooper quickly unbuckled his injured brother and pulled him out.

"Of the sixteen on board, including the two pilots," Cody started. "Five are dead and three are unaccounted for, including Consult Shan." he said. Something stabbed deep in Kenobi's heart. "Send the uninjured men to find them. We don't have much time. The Separatists will be here at any moment." he commanded. Cody nodded.

"Ice! Ciros!" he shouted. Two clones sprinted over. "Go search for the missing." he said. "Yes sir!" Ciros said. His helmet was gold with a black slash over the right side of the visor, like a single claw mark. "Gheo landed on the top of the canyon. He can search up there." Ice added. His armor was also gold, as all of the 212th company was, but was accented with an glacier blue.

"General!" the clone shouted from atop the gunship as he lowered the pilot to the ground. He had previously been unconcious and was now beginning to come to. In the distance, two vulture droids were flying at them full speed.

"Take cover!" Kenobi shouted. He whipped out his lightsaber as they buffeted the area with red bolts. He deflected a few, managing to hit one in the wings. It didn't take it down though, just puffed smoke. They flew past, trying to cover enough distance to make a second pass.

"I found the three!" Gheo's voice said from the comm. "Lek and Kero are dead, but Consult Shan survived." A knot tightened in Kenobi's chest. "Is she injured?" "She's unresponsive, so I'm not sure the extent of the damage." he said. The vulture droids made a U and started heading back towards them. Their bombing bay opened.

"Blast it. Everyone move!" Kenobi yelled. The four surviving clones all took off running. Kenobi could hear Gheo's confused voice asking what was going on from the other end. "Cody, brace yourself!" the Jedi said. He lifted him up using the Force and threw him up to the top of the canyon. The commander landed on his back on the ledge above them. As the silver droids closed in, Obi-Wan threw up two more of the clones, Cody catching them at the top. The clones were reaching out to grab their final brother when the vulture droids dropped their torpedoes. Kenobi jumped up at the last moment, the explosion overtaking the spot he had just vacated. His fingers caught the lip of the cliff. Cody and Sergeant Varo grabbed his forearms and yanked him up. Pain shot through his chest from his broken ribs. He dug his fingers into his thighs as he waited for the it to pass.

"Those birds are coming back General!" Varo said, pointing up into the sky. Kenobi clenched his teeth. "Try and shoot them down!' Cody commanded. They had no heavy artillery, but if they get lucky, they may be able to ground them with their blasters. With his injured ribs, Obi-Wan couldn't move too well, so to take them down himself would be too much.

Suddenly, the left one lost a wing and nosedived into the canyon. A billow of black smoke followed a crash. Kenobi deflected a few blasts from the second one before he could figure out what happened to the first vulture droid. As the fighter whizzed past, Kenobi looked across to the other side. Sahrea Shan had happened. On her left, she held her orange saber far away from her body. On the right, she leaned against Gheo. Even from here, Kenobi could see she was in bad shape. Her armor was its usual pale gray in some spots and brown in others. A lock of her long blonde hair was hanging out from under her hood. A splotch of red was on her forehead. There were rusty spots on her arms and legs as well. He looked up as the remaining vulture droid circled back.

Kenobi decided to try this the Sahrea Shan way. As the fighter came closer, Kenobi pulled his arm back and tossed his saber. The pain in his ribs hitched his aim though, and his saber only grazed the wing. It did enough damage to cause it to malfunction. The vulture droid lost control and spiraled into the wall. He caught Shan's eye across the chasm as his saber returned to his hand.

"Are we clear General?" Gheo asked. "I believe so, but not for long. I'll carry you both over." he said into his wrist. "Trust me." Gheo and Shan spoke back and forth. Sahrea looked grumpy before she walked over to the cliff edge. He couldn't tell if she was limping. They made eye contact again, having an unspoken conversation. Shan nodded her head and stepped off the ledge into the canyon.

Shan didn't make it far though. She fell about two feet before Obi-Wan caught her through the Force. He focused as he pulled her to him over the ravine. He reached out to her. Sahrea grabbed his hand lightly and Kenobi pulled her to him. He wrapped an arm around her waist. His heart betrayed him by doing a little stutter step, right below where her hand was resting. She was close enough that Kenobi could see hints of yellow in her gray-green eyes.

"How are you?" he asked as she stepped away, leaving a ghostly reminder of where she had been. She moved to lean on Cody. "I've been better." she said uncomfortably. Her face was covered in soot. A bloody cut dripped down her forehead into her eye. There were rusted smears over her temple where she wiped it away. Matching stains were on the back of her left hand. She roughly yanked her hood off and tugged the fabric away from her face. Her hair was tucked into her shirt. It was no longer neatlty tied back, but falling out and loose in places. Kenobi examined this smudgy, unkept version of Sahrea. She never looked more beautiful.

"That saber throw wasn't too shabby." Shan said with as much mirth as she could muster. "Thank you, but I think I'll leave that to you. Not really my style." he replied with a smile.

He pulled his eyes away from the Gray and brought Gheo over to their side of the canyon. Now that the eight of them were reunited, they headed off.

They started walking. It was only now that Obi-Wan realized Cody was limping considerably. Shan was being assisted by Gheo. The pilot, Quest, had lost his helmet and made it through the crash with a nasty head injury. There was the obvious gash on the back of his skull, but the trauma was also written on his face. He had a blank expression. His eyes were unfocused. He wasn't walking straight. Ciros was holding his shoulder. Varo couldn't move his left wrist. They were a sight to behold. Only Ice and Gheo made it through relatively unharmed. The Separatists would certainly be looking for them, but there was no way they would be able to fight off a large wave in this condition.

Kenobi was anxious. There was nothing out here. The red ground was even. There were no stones, no hills, no plants. Nothing. Even the clouds were straight, thin lines. It was unlike any planet he had ever seen. Tatooine, Geonosis, Kamino, they had more life than this place.

"Where in the galaxy are we?" he asked. "I'm not sure sir. Master Plo was almost to Scarif when he got ambushed." Cody replied. "I think we're on Canarath." one of the clones said. Kenobi turned around to Gheo. Shan had dropped her head on his shoulder. Kenobi could tell she was hiding her pain the best she could.

"Canarath?" Kenobi asked. "Yea. The fellas used to make fun of me in training cause I liked to study up on different planets." he said sheepishly. "I've never heard of Canarath." Sahrea said weakly. Gheo readjusted his hold on her. "It's a dead planet. About two hundred years ago, all sentient life disappeared on the planet." he explained. "They think something happened to some of the population and the fear drove the others away." They were silent a moment. "Well whatever it was must have driven the flora and fauna away too." Cody said. He was right. There were no creatures in the sky, no small buzzing lifeforms, no critters pattering across the plain or digging deep below the surface. No plants either, not even the smallest blade of grass was seen. Kenobi looked forward as Cody pointed ahead. There was a dark mass in the distance. No, not a mass. Singular pieces all blurring together into a mass. They were the skeletons of dead trees. Shan made a pained groan.

"I vaguely remember reading about this now. It's one of the galaxy's greatest mysteries. Many have come here to discover what happened. Few left." Sahrea said. They all looked behind them as a Separatist gunship appeared in the sky in front of the battle. Kenobi's heart dropped.

"To the trees. We have no cover here. Hurry!" he yelled. He urged his injured troops forward. They staggered towards the treeline as the ship got lower and lower. He could sense the panic each one gave off, except for Quest, but Kenobi wasn't sure if the pilot knew what was going on or not. A cloud of dust enveloped them out of nowhere, which told him the Separatists had landed. Dread draped over him.

"We're almost there!" Ciros said. He was right. The trees were only a little ways away now. The sounds of clanking droids echoed over the flat. The dust cloud began to settle just as they reached the dead forest. They went a few meters deep before resting in a grove of wooden skeletons.

"Are any of you a medic?" Shan asked. Ice looked up at her. "I have some training, but I'm no medic." he said. "Great. I'm the same." she said dejectedly. "We need to find somewhere to rest and tend our wounds." Kenobi said. "Let's get moving."


	7. Stranded on Canarath Pt. 2

They wandered around in the forest until the sky turned green. In these cases, stranded men are supposed to stay with the wreck, but since it was compromised, there was no use standing around waiting to get shot. So they searched for somewhere to rest. They walked in the shadows of the corpse trees, constantly keep an ear out for any metallic clanking. As the green sky began to turn a deep navy, Ciros picked up a small cave on some geographical scans of the surrounding area. So that was where they headed. Everyone knew not to get too comfortable. One bioscan of the area would reveal them. Their only hope would be the trees and rock possibly interfering with the readings.

Night had fallen by the time the cave into view. So far, no sign of the Sepys, which was good. Kenobi had taken Shan from Gheo. She was trudging along the best she could. Quest's head snapped to their left out of nowhere. He stopped and stared into the darkness that filled a thicket of trees.

"Do you hear that?" he asked. They stared at the pilot. Kenobi's ears didn't pick up on anything. He tightened his grip on Sahrea's side. "Hear what?" Cody questioned, concern lining his voice. Quest's eyes were still unfocused. "The voices, the singing. They are calling me." he replied dreamily. Quest dropped his blaster and began to walk towards the copse of trees. "Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Cody said, grabbing his brother's arm. "Not right now you aren't soldier." he said. The commander picked up the abandoned blaster and tugged Quest back in the correct direction. He didn't give the rifle back to the pilot though. They were all thinking the same thing; If Quest's head injury was severe enough to start hearing things, they probably shouldn't give him a weapon.

Despite Quest's odd behavior, they kept pushing forward. The mouth of the caved yawned larger and larger until the squadron was right in front of it. Kenobi and Shan lit their sabers as they entered. The clones flicked on their headlamps. They went as far back as they could before sitting down to rest. As Ciros fired up the lantern, Varo shucked off the bag he was carrying. He sat down and rummaged through it in the soft yellow light. He pulled out a painfully small cache of medical supplies. Ice did the same. Ciros also had a few things tucked away. Shan looked them over.

"Well it's not much, but it'll do." she said. While Ice administered a shot of bacta to the neck of Quest, Sahrea made a makeshift sling for Ciros's shoulder. Kenobi watched her as she worked. She did not have the proficiency that most of the medics possessed, but she knew what she was doing. In the back of his mind, Obi-Wan wondered if that was from formal training or if she had learned on the fly. Ice turned to Cody and started examining his leg. Shan sat back as she finished with Ciros. Kenobi scooted a little closer to the Gray.

"May I?" he asked, reaching his hand out for the gauze. She nodded. He poured some antiseptic onto the fabric and began to clean a wound on her neck. The only other cut was one on her forehead and one on her arm. The impact had shredded her fibermesh armor, exposing her unprotected arm to the harsh terrain. It was a bloody gash. It had stained her armor red, now rust with time. He gingerly wiped the blood off her forehead and out of her eyebrow before grabbing a new piece to tackle her arm. They had tied it up quickly earlier. In all honesty, she probably needed stitches for it, but they did not have the time or supplies. She winced a little as some of the inner layers pulled away from her fair skin. The bleeding had stopped, but some of the scab had pulled away with the gauze, reopening the wound. The rest of it was a mess of peeled skin and rusty lines. Kenobi wiped it down. Shan had a determined set to her mouth. The antiseptic was burning a good amount, but she refused to let him see that she was in pain. They redressed the wound.

"Your turn." she said. Shan injected a small vial of bacta into his neck before taking a fresh cloth to his face. It was cold and the antiseptic had a bit of a bite. He could feel blood caked in his beard. Kenobi watched her face was she wiped as much blood off as she could. Half of it was lit by the lantern, bright and soft. The other half was cast in shadow. Her left iris was filled with light, reflecting out a pure grey. Her hair had come unbound and was now down by her mid back. Some of it was tucked behind an ear. Her expression was pensive; brows drawn slightly together, her eyelids low, mouth tensed slightly. His heart betrayed him once again by doing that same uneven beat. Obi-Wan took a silent breath through his nose to right it again. She looked up to him as she pulled her hand away. She gave him a small smile.

"Get some rest men." she said. The Gray waited a heartbeat before breaking their eye contact. She scanned their broken crew. "We'll move out when day breaks." "I'll take the first watch." Kenobi offered. "As will I." Cody added. They all were silent as the eight of them made themselves comfortable for the long night ahead. Gheo and Ice were sleeping back to back. Quest and Varo rested their heads on their packs, while Ciros balled up a blanket. As for Sahrea Shan, she had accepted a blanket from Cody and was now sleeping horizontal to the wall. They all dropped off to sleep quickly.

"You should rest, General." his commander said after a few hours of quiet. Kenobi adjusted his position. "I'm alright for now Cody." he replied. Rustling pulled their attention to their right. Shan stretched before sitting up. Her blonde hair was frizzy and mussed. There were short locks poking out of her braid. She crossed her legs and looked at the commander and general.

"Anyone need some sleep?" she asked, stretching daintily again. She reached her arms out as far as they could go, her fists pulled back. "You should rest Cody." Kenobi said, looking to his commander. He nodded in agreement before laying back on his pack. Kenobi stared into the lantern as Cody drifted off to sleep. Shan got up and sat next to him.

"How are you feeling?" she asked softly. "Better, thank you. The bacta took some of the pain away in my ribs." he said. Shan pulled her knees up to her chest. "How are you?" Sahrea blinked in the light. "I'm alright. I've certainly felt better." She did get banged up a good amount in the crash. She untied her braid and shook the golden locks loose. She wound it tightly and spun it into a large bun on the nape of her neck. She tied it up again. Sahrea leaned back before resting against Obi-Wan, her head on his shoulder.

"Tell me about the Gray Jedi." he said, hoping the conversation would keep him awake. "What would you like to know?" he thought for a moment. "You were raised in the order, were you not?" Shan sat up straight. She turned to face Obi-Wan, who was refusing to acknowledge his feelings of disappointment of her pulling away.

"Yea, I was. As was my father and his father before him." she explained. "The council allows families?" Kenobi remarked, a little surprised. Sahrea nodded. "Yes. The Jedi forbid attachments because they can be used against you. They cloud your judgement and thinking. The Sith have no teachings on attachments, but attachments seen as possible weapons and signs of weakness. The Gray are in the middle." she said, watching the sleeping forms of the clones. "Avoiding attachments isn't strength. We are taught how to let our attachments go, to see the larger picture. It's easier and harder in many ways." her voice was tinged with sadness. "What were you parents like?" Obi-Wan asked. Shan smiled.

"My father's name is Kendo Shan. He was born and raised a Gray Jedi. He was of Ashla like me. My mother came to the order later in life. She was a Mandalorian actually, from Dantooine." Kenobi rubbed his beard. "Mandalorians on Dantooine?" Shan looked up at him, half of her face cast in shadow. "Yea. We have a whole colony there. It's really unique too.

"You see, my ancestors settled there after the Mandalorian War. They were isolated from Mandalore, so they were away from all of their politics and wars and nonsense. We follow the same traditions as ancient Mandalorians, like battle circles. We aren't Satine's pacifists, nor are we like those terrorists, Deathwatch." Shan's face lit up talking about them. "We have a community there called Ordonia. That's where my mother grew up. My grandparents still live there, along with my uncle Aaraton." she explained. "Maybe I'll return there after the war." She looked away again. Her shoulders sagged. She covered up her emotion quickly. She leaned back against the rocky wall. She playfully bumped his knee with her own. The general smiled.

They stayed silent for a while before they took up meditating. The two sat facing each other, focusing on each other's aura and the world beyond them. It was quiet. The only movement was the wind and dancing of red dust. The world felt empty. The fullness of life had been drained. The Dark Side of the Force flowed through the planet, a cold, static undercurrent that one had to focus deeply on to truly feel. What Kenobi focused on the most though, was Shan's unique energy. When he had met her, he had found it to be unsettling. The light and dark swirling inside her, the unpredictable spikes and dips. However, the more he was around her, the more he discovered that it wasn't as chaotic and unreadable as he once thought. There was a pattern to the way it danced. He now found her aura to be pleasant, even comforting, like the erratic patter of rain on a roof.

They both snapped their eyes open as a sound caught their ears. The two made a panicked eye contact before Shan killed the light. Not waking the others, they crept up towards the front of the cave and peered out.

"Ahh, stupid sensor!" Kenobi would recognize that voice anywhere. It was the typical sound of a B1 Battledroid Voice Modulator. He pulled back as three of them came into view. "Here, give it to me, you're doing it wrong!" a second one bearing the same voice said. He tried to grab it away from the one in the middle. "I'm not doing it wrong! All these trees are messing with the sensor!" Middle said. The one on the right shook its head dismissively. "Well let me see!" Left reached out and snatched it away. "Hey!" Middle yelled, trying to take it back. "Why did I get stuck with you two clunkers?" Right complained, putting his metal hand to his forehead.

"Look, it says right there that there are lifeforms in that cave!" Left said, shoving the device in Middle's faceplate. "Those aren't lifeforms!" Middle yelled back. Kenobi couldn't help but be amused by the stupidity of the battle droids. They were meant to take orders and overwhelm their opponent, not to be intelligent. It was blatantly evident. Shan put a warm hand on his arm as she leaned to watch the droids.

"You two rust buckets are lucky if you can figure out which end of the blaster to hold!" Right said. He tugged the device away, smacked the side, and readjusted a few dials. He roughly shoved the device back into Middle's hands.

"See? Eight lifeforms in that cave." he said. Kenobi put a hand to his saber hilt. "Well let's go check it out!" Left said. Middle was hesitant. "What if the Jedi's in there?" he asked. "Good point. Let's transmit our coordinates now, just in case." Left began typing on the pad. Kenobi and the Consult shared a look. Words weren't even needed. Shan reached out and Force pushed Left as Kenobi ignited his cyan colored saber.

"Ahh! See I told you! Jedi!" Middle shouted, backing away. He pulled out a blaster and fired a few red shots as Left scrabbled in the red dirt for the device before getting to his feet. Ignoring the now bearable pain in his ribs, Kenobi flipped up into the air and slashed Middle in two. He stood up and brought his saber behind him, cutting the head off Right. Left backed up.

"I surrender?" he tried. Kenobi force pulled the device to his hand before running Left through with his saber, shoulder to hip joint. He looked down to pad's screen. The coordinates had been sent and received.

"Blast it!" he cursed. He ran into the cave, his chest stinging. Everyone was already packed and on their feet. Cody flipped up his rifle. Nothing needed to be said.

They met Shan at the mouth of the cave and took off into the night.

"We have to put as much distance as we can between us and the cave." Kenobi said airily. Each one of his breaths were hitched by stabbing. They stopped as clanking echoed off the trees in front of them. A single red light could be seen in the darkness.

"Halt!" Came a digital voice as a Super Battle Droid stepped over a branch. The clones downed him in a few blasts. Suddenly, dozens of blazing red shots flew out of the darkness. Orange, silver, and cyan colored sabers burst to life. They deflected the bolts back into the inkwell.

"There's nowhere to run Obi-Wan!" Sahrea said. "We're going to have to face them." She and Kenobi nodded at each other. They rushed into the darkness.

"Take up cover men!" Cody shouted as the two Force-users made their way into the skeleton forest. Kenobi took down every battle droid he came across. The agony in his chest was drowned out by adrenaline and bacta gel. Each swipe turned each droid into hunk of spare parts. Obi-Wan had done this so many times before he didn't even have to think. After slicing a Super Battle Droid through the torso, Kenobi took a moment to assess. There were no more.

"We're all clear back here General." Cody said. The Jedi Master took another look around. "Here as well." he said as he doubled back. Sahrea was already there by the time he returned. They hadn't lost anyone in the battle, nor was anyone injured farther, so Kenobi took it as a win. "Let's move."

They set off. Where, they didn't know.

It was a run full of endless skeleton trees and two distant moons. Shadows stalked, red dust danced, boots scuffed on the dirt. Kenobi skid to a stop as he heard the number of footsteps lessened. He looked over his shoulder. Shan was in front of him, looking past him confusedly. Behind were the six clones.

"Why did we stop?" the Gray asked, stepping beside Obi-Wan. In response, Quest pointed into the trees. "What is that?" Shan questioned as she walked closer to the clones. Kenobi followed. He didn't see anything out of the ordinary, but clearly the others did. As he got closer, however, a small light winked to life. It was a wispy little thing, flickering green and purple in the night air. It hung daintily, a gentle little thing. It didn't light the surrounding area though. The ground and trees were as dark as the rest. As Kenobi approached, a second one appeared. And a third. And a fourth. It became chain snaking into the forest. Quest took a step forward.

"Whoa, stop!" Cody said, grabbing onto his brother's arm. Quest didn't even acknowledge him. He pulled his wrist out of the commander's grip and followed the wisps. Kenobi tried to speak up, but found he couldn't. His body felt slow and cumbersome. His thoughts felt like running through water, double the effort at half the speed. In a single breath, the temperature went from comfortable to frigid. Kenobi managed to turn his head. The clones seemed unaffected, but Sahrea Shan was shivering. He diverted his focus back to the lights.

Quest was barely visible now. Even his white armor was suffocated by the dark. The lights began to disappear now, one by one. In the back of his mind, Kenobi wondered why Cody and the others didn't stop him. Perhaps they too were in this strangely frozen state. All Obi-Wan could do was stare as Quest melted into the night, even as the clone gave out a deathly scream.

It was like someone flicked a switch. All at once, feeling returned to his limbs. The cold seeped away. His mind returned to normal. Everyone started moving again, as if someone had unpaused the scene. Shan collapsed to the ground, teeth still chattering, as Ciros and Gheo sprinted to Quest's last known location. Kenobi ran to Consult Shan and helped her up.

"Wha... What was that?" her words stumbled out. Her body was cold. She leaned her head up against Obi-Wan's chest. "I have no idea. It almost felt like the Dark Side, but more intense than anything I had ever felt before." Obi-Wan finished, wrapping his arms around the Gray's small form to warm her up. The two clones returned.

"He's gone." Ciros said. "Like footprints end in the middle of a clearing gone." Kenobi felt Shan's head move against him. He rubbed the backs of her arms. She seemed to be shivering less. "There are no other tracks, nothing. Even if a flying creatures nabbed him, the footprints would be scuffed." Gheo added. "Plus we would have seen it." Ice said. "He vanished into thin air." Sahrea said softly, her voice a little shaky. "This is a haunted planet alright." Varo chimed in. Cody was silent. He motioned with his hand to keep moving. They did.


	8. Stranded on Canarath Pt. 3

"Ahh, it's no use." Varo said, whacking the comm. "The Sepys are blocking all transmissions. There is no way to contact Master Plo." he said. Kenobi rubbed his beard. The shadowy night had turned to day by now. There was no sign of Quest or whatever took him, nor did the run into any droids. The overhead battle was still raging, both sides in a standstill. They took a rest in a clearing while Varo tried to get a transmission through. He had tried when they first landed, last night, and again this morning. No luck. Cody and Kenobi were standing, while Varo, Shan, and Ice sat on some flat, white rocks. Gheo and Ciros were on the ground, leaning up against two of the skeleton trees. The clone's armor, along with Shan's Gray Jedi garb, had been colored red from the dusty landscape. Obi-Wan's was as well. Sahrea's braid was over her shoulder. She twisted the bottom around her gloved finger.

"Well that means no help from Master Plo." she said to no one in particular. "So we have to find our own way off this planet." Gheo sat up suddenly. "What if we took one of clanker's ships?" he said.

"That could work." Cody mused. "We need to find out where the nearest camp is." Varo replaced the comm with another device. "On it commander!" he said. Kenobi looked to the Gray. Shan still seemed out of it. The weird sensation seemed to affect her more strongly than it did him. Varo stood up. "I'm picking up a lot of energy readings a few clicks to the east." he said, handing the device to Cody. "That has to be one."

"Well then, it looks like we have our plan." Kenobi said. The others begrudgingly got to their feet. Kenobi stood for a moment as the clones passed him. He fell in step beside Sahrea Shan. She was very distant. The Fire Fang had lost her flame.

"Are you alright Consult?" he asked. "I'm fine." she said, looking straight ahead. "I just feel unbalanced." Kenobi focused in on her aura. Now that she mentioned it, he could sense that she definitely felt off. "Whatever that was, I think it was of the Dark Side." she said. "I think you're right. Do you think it could have been some kind of attack?" he asked. He knew such rituals were possible. As a Gray, Sahrea would be much more versed in the ways of the Dark Side than he.

"I don't think so." she said. "I have a theory, but I'm not sure." Kenobi raised an eyebrow. "Well let's hear it." Shan took a breath through her nose. "When I was a child, my grandmother taught a class on Force-Sensitive creatures. There were Light-Sided creatures, like the Vardosian Firebird, Loth Wolves, and Myri. There are also Dark-Sided creatures, like Hssiss and Terentakeks." she explained. "I had a similar class. So you think we ran into one of these Dark Sided creatures?" Kenobi asked. "I do. There are certain planets that are bathed in the Dark Side of the Force. Take Korriban for instance." "Korriban?" he asked.

"She means Moraband sir." Gheo chimed in. Kenobi hadn't even seen the clone behind them. "The Republic renamed the planet a few hundred years ago." "He is correct." Shan said. "It is the birthplace of the Sith. They hoped by renaming the planet, it's dark connections would be forgotten and it would help the Sith Order stay dead." she explained.

"Back to my original point, Canarath is one of those places. It makes a perfect breeding ground for Dark Sided creatures." "Do you have any idea which creature we may be dealing with?" he asked. She shook her head. "I do not." They looked up as someone called to them.

"Hey General!" Cody shouted, pointing at something in the distance. The Jedi came up next to his commander. He rested his hand against a nearby skeleton tree. Its bark was strange. It felt almost metallic. Kenobi looked out to what Cody had seen.

"A village." Ice said beside him. Kenobi crossed his arms. "No one's been here in years." Shan asked. She was right; the town looked like it hadn't been touched in a very long time. The village was in a valley below them. The metal buildings were falling down. Everything was coated in inches of red dust. A nearby speeder had been rusted to a shell.

Shan was the first to slide down the uneven hillside. Her boots kicked up the terracotta colored soil. She called to Cody, who's leg was still bothering him. She used to Force to carry him down, while Ice and Ciros carefully climbed their way down, testing the soil and looking for footholds. Varo and Gheo went next. Kenobi took a deep breath, his ribs protesting, before sliding down the slope himself. He stopped inches away from Consult Shan.

"Hello there." he said with a smirk. She rolled her eyes. "Obi-Wan." she said with a smile.

The village was even worse up close. The buildings were edged in rust. Doors had fallen off or been removed. Baskets woven from the skeleton trees had disintegrated, the splitting fibers a tangled mass on the ground. Through one of the windows, Kenobi caught a corpse of a weather beaten couch. He heard a saber ignite behind him. He didn't know what and he didn't know why. He echoed the motion anyway. Obi-Wan turned around.

The wisps had returned.

"Everyone, stand together!" Shan commanded. The Republic soldiers grouped up in a circle, their backs to each other. The wisps danced enticing them into one of the ruined houses. A voice echoed out of the doorless frames, soft and gentle. It spoke a language Kenobi didn't understand. He tightened his grip on his saber.

"Guard your mind Sahrea." Obi-Wan said. He saw Shan nod out of the corner of his eye. That stiffening cold returned, but now that he expected it, the sensation didn't affect Kenobi as strongly. The voice became more urgent, persuading, pleading. It tugged at his soul. No. he thought, shielding himself. He scanned the ruined building. He could sense the creature in there, but could detect no movement. Kenobi's head jerked instinctively to the side as a few blue blaster bolts shot into the house, skimming the tops of the green and violet wisps. As Sahrea lowered Gheo's blaster, a horrid cry echoed through the ghostly village. It was loud and animal like, a toned scream that you felt vibrate in your chest. The creature revealed itself.

It was a thing of nightmares. It was shadowed vapor. The creature floated a few feet off the ground. Its edges were smudged, like a storm cloud. It was somewhat humanoid, with a head and arms, but the bottom was could only be described as a wispy tail. Its charcoal colored body had no defining features, with the exception of three black spots on its face, two eyes and a mouth. It had some semblance of being female, but they may have just been the way it moved. It was like rolling fog, a midnight mist. Its arms, which were much too long for its body, stretched out as the creature gave a second cry. This one was not of pain, but of rage. It disappeared.

"What the-" Varo said. A shot went off behind Kenobi. The creature had reappeared instantly twelve feet away. It flew up high, dodging the blaster bolts. It dove down at the nearest clone, which was Ciros. He took his hand off the rifle to punch the monster. His arm went straight through it. The creature put an indistinct hand to his throat and tossed him a few meters away. Shan growled.

"How the hell are we supposed to hit it?" Ice snapped. As the creature rounded towards Kenobi, he swung his saber at it, irritating his ribs. It dodged nimbly before disappearing again with a slight pop. It reappeared on the opposite side of their circle. Shan altered her aim and took another shot at the shadow with the pistol. Ciros did the same from behind. Most of Shan's shots missed widely, but one caught the creature's shoulder. It gave out that heart stopping cry of pain again. Ciros landed two more on its back. The creature whirled around and grabbed Commander Cody.

"Ahh!" the clone shouted. Ice flung his rifle down and grabbed his brother's foot. The creature tugged harder, trying to drag the clone off into the woods beyond. Gheo jumped to clasp Cody's other ankle. Kenobi leapt forward and dug his saber into the creature's misty body. There was no cry this time. The creature released Cody, who dropped roughly onto the dirt. The misty being floated gently down to the ground before dissolving into nothing.

"What the hell." Cody stated as he pushed himself up to a standing position. The creature's presence was gone. "Do you think it's dead?" Ciros asked, staring at where it dissipated. "Yes." They all turned to Shan. "I also think I know what that creature was." Kenobi cocked his head at her. "Do tell." he said. "I think it's a Neris. They are dark-sided creatures who are known to make people disappear." she explained. "They can phase through solid things, but not through light, which is why our sabers and blaster shots could hurt them, but we couldn't." "You said they make people disappear?" Varo asked. "Yes. No one knows how. They are believed to be able to hop between dimensions. I remember learning about them." Sahrea explained. They all stared at each other.

"That would explain why this planet is deserted." Kenobi said. "These Neris were taking the inhabitants and that scared off the remaining people." "But what about the flora and fauna?" Cody asked. "That I'm not sure about." Shan said. They all stiffened as metallic footsteps approached from their left side. They decided not to stick around.

They started heading towards the energy readings they picked up. It wasn't too far from the abandoned village. After walking a short way past skeleton tree after skeleton tree, they found themselves outside of the Separatist camp.

"We're in luck." Shan said. "There's a ship across the way." Kenobi couldn't see what she was looking at, so he moved to her opposite side. Sure enough, there was indeed a ship, the beetle looking Sheathipede-class Type B shuttle. It was close to the perimeter too.

"Let's skirt the edge." Shan said. They went a little farther out and circled around to the ship. There weren't many droids around, only a few dozen. In fact, the campsite itself wasn't too large. There was a single tactical droid at a control panel, directing the B1s this way and that. A few crates were spread around the area, along with portable generators attached to charging ports. There was no heavy artillery. A comms tower was in the corner. Two B1s were carrying storage units out from their targeted ship.

"This must be a satellite camp." Cody said. "The real camp must be somewhere nearby." They surveyed the area. It would be an easy dash to get to the dock of the ship. They would creep along the edge opposite the tactical droid. Their squad was small, so they could do it efficiently. After that depended on Master Plo. If he had already boarded Rohna's cruiser, they would go there. If not, they would have to land in the Triumphant, Plo's capital ship, and go from there.

"Uhh, general? Take a look." Gheo said, pointing to the opposite side of the shuttle. Kenobi moved to the clone's side. Before them stood a cage, but instead of metal bars, the bars were made of light. Nothing was inside though.

"That's odd." Shan whispered. They all crept back as a silver Super Battle Droid and two B1s came into view. They were doing a perimeter patrol. A shrill scream echoed behind Kenobi's broken ribs. The Neris appeared and slammed itself against the columns of light. It hissed as it burned itself on the beam. It clearly wasn't fond of the battle droids. The B1 just pointed and laughed at it.

"Stupid creature!" he said. "Careful! Remember what it did to the droids who trapped it." the other said. "Oh yea." The creature thrashed and slammed against the light. The B1 fired off a single shot and hit the Neris. It shrieked as the droids stalked off. Kenobi and Shan looked at each other. A second of eye contact told him they were thinking the same thing.

"We have to free it." Shan said. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, free it?" Ice asked incredulously. "Yes." "Why the hell would we free that thing?" Varo asked. "Well one, if the Separatists discover how the Neris is able to teleport, they could weaponize it, which would not be good for us." Kenobi explained. "Secondly, as horrid as it is, it doesn't deserve to be tortured by Dooku." Sahrea said. Varo laughed unexpectedly. "Don't worry, you got your back general." he said. "Ok, good. Now how to free it from the cage." Sahrea mused. "Perhaps your lightsabers could intercept the lasers." Cody thought aloud. "It's worth a shot."

Kenobi and Shan snuck out of the skeleton forest and snuck towards the ship. Kenobi peaked around the side. The tactical droid was directing a group of B1s. He was angled facing the docking bay of the Sheathipede. The general pulled his head back. He motioned to Sahrea, who nodded in response. He checked again. The B1s were gone and the tactical droid had its back to them. Kenobi twitched his fingers. Shan ignited her silver saber and held it out. She released it, leaving it hanging in mid air. She rotated the saber horizontally and pushed it towards the cage. The silver beam intercepted the light, but nothing changed. Shan made a grumpy face. Kenobi pointed to her second saber. She nodded and used the Trayus form again to send this one to the crate. It was below the silver one. Once the orange saber slid into place, the beams were interrupted. The Neris flew up and out. Shan recalled her sabers as it hovered in the air over the camp. It turned its face towards the two Force users. It shot at them, quick as a whip.

They barely had time to react. It flew through both of them in one swoop. An icy chill overtook Kenobi's body so strongly, he was unable to move. The Neris flew up again and flew to the opposite side of the ship. As feeling returned to his body, blaster shots and droid calls echoed out from the opposite side of the ship. Kenobi was able to move his neck. He looked down. On his left forearm was a symbol. It wasn't black so much as devoid of light, like space. It was a round, scrawling thing. As the numbness faded from his arm, he could feel the symbol burning into his flesh, all the way to the bone. It faded a moment later as he regained feeling in his legs and feet. Shan gave a little cry next to him. She was shaking. That symbol was on her arm as well, nearly faded by now.

"General!" Cody's voice said behind him. He turned. It took him a second to catch up. The Neris had attacked the Separatists, sending the droids into a frenzy. Cody, Gheo, and the rest of the clones were helping the creature, which was diving down and tossing the droids like a child's plaything. His commander was laying down cover fire from the dock of the Sheathipede. He ushered them inside. Ice and Varo ran up the deck. Two shots told him they must have run into two droids inside.

Kenobi ignited his saber, deflecting a few shots back at the Separatists. There were a number of B1s honing in on them. Ciros and Gheo were stepping back as more droids entered from the forest of skeleton trees. Obi-Wan looked to Shan. She was pale and leaning up against the side of the ship. She grabbed her saber.

"No, rest." he said. She nodded, removing her hand. She must have felt bad if she agreed without a single word of protest.

"Go!" Cody shouted. The two clones retreated into the ship. Kenobi reached his hand out to Sahrea. She took it weakly. Kenobi put an arm around her as he defended them against the barrage of red blaster bolts. Obi-Wan passed Shan to Cody as he shot the bolts back at the droids.

"Raise the platform!" the general yelled as a few B1s got dangerously close. He used the Force to push them back. As soon as the landing dock began to raise, he made his way to the front of the ship. Gheo was already in the co-pilot's seat prepping the engine. Kenobi looked for Sahrea. She was still leaning on Cody, but some of her color had returned.

Kenobi hopped into the pilot's seat as blaster bolts peppered the side of the ship. He flipped switches as they raised into the air. Gheo pressed a few buttons. They shot up and away from the camp. The battle was still going on, but it had lessened in intensity, hopefully in favor of the Republic. The sky darkened as they punched through Canarath's atmosphere and into the space beyond.

\---

"I'm glad to see your better Sahrea." Obi-Wan said as they walked through the halls of the Jedi Temple together. She wasn't wearing her usual, Echani-type armor. She had swapped it for a long sleeved pale dress that brushed the floor as she walked. Her shoulders were exposed. It had silver lines tracing through out it. Charcoal colored thread laced over the stomach area. Her fair hair was loose with the front tied back in a knot. There were small silver beads speckled through the white-gold. She gave Kenobi a warm, pink-lipped smile. She looked stunning.

"I'm much better. I got some bacta for my physical injuries, which cleared them up quickly. Some meditating and tea helped me rebalance myself." she said. "How are you?" Kenobi took a painless deep breath. "My ribs healed nicely. I'm glad to get away from the battlefield for a few days." he said. "I am as well. I don't know how you've done it for the last three years." the Gray said. Kenobi turned down a nearby hallway, Shan on his heels. "I have something to show you." he said. She gave him a curious look, but followed wordlessly.

He led her to the restricted section of the library. He had gotten special permission from Master Jocasta to allow Shan to enter. She happily obliged. He led the Gray to a shelf in the back, where texts so ancient sat that they were written on parchment. He plucked one open and flipped to the page on the Neris.

"Interesting." Sahrea said, brushing her gloved fingertips over the page. "Remember that symbol?" Kenobi asked. "Yea. The burning is kinda hard to forget." she replied, rubbing her forearm. Obi-Wan pointed to the top outside corner of the right page. There was the symbol they had seen.

"It says here that the symbol is one of the Ancient Sith." Kenobi explained. "It means protection. The Neris would sometimes mark those who they wanted to keep safe." he said. "It marked us because we freed it." "Yes. It tells other Neris not to harm us." he explained. "Good to know." Shan said. Kenobi replaced the book before they exited the library. His comm link blinked.

"Well it looks as if my few days of rest are over with." Kenobi said, looking down at his wrist. Shan gave him a sympathetic smile. "Don't worry, mine won't last much longer." she said. "Until next time, General Kenobi." he smirked in spite of himself. "Until next time, Consult Shan."


	9. Investigation on Iveria Pt. 1

Sahrea Shan, Palatial Elder of the Gray Jedi Order, Consult in the Grand Army of the Republic, stood in the back of the Jedi Council Chambers, watching silently as they discussed the crisis on Mandalore. She had her arms crossed, tapping her fingers against her bicep. Anxiety flowed through her. As the council disbanded, the Gray made her way to the center of the chamber. Masters Mace Windu and Yoda stopped their discussion as they noted her presence. Among them was Kit Fisto, Aayla Secura, Anakin Skywalker, and Obi-Wan Kenobi. She caught Kenobi's eye. There was a question there. She turned her eyes back to Windu.

"Is there something we can help you with, Consult Shan?" he asked. They all were watching her with a curious interest. She took a breath.

"Yes." She paused before continuing. "When I signed up for this war, I knew what I was getting myself into. I am loyal to the Republic and determined to bring Count Dooku to justice. I will fight for those until the end," she said. Windu clasped his hands together, clearly eager to hear where this was going. "Thank you for confirming that, Consult." he said simply. Shan grabbed her right wrist.

"With all that being said... I have to leave." she said softly. This was the moment she was worried about. The council remained stone faced, but she could sense the surprise.

"Leave where?" Kenobi spoke up. She turned to him. There was an emotion there, one she couldn't decipher. "I have received a message from my home planet of Iveria." she explained, finally looking away from Kenobi's face. "Someone has been poking around the Gray Jedi Temple. After Dooku's attack, I locked it up tight. Although the Republic is my priority, my first and foremost duty is to my order. I will return when my investigation is complete." Master Windu leaned forward. "This sounds more like debrief and less like a request." he said. She stared him in the eye. A dangerous move. "That's because it is." He narrowed his eyes at her. "And if the council says no?" she tightened her grip on her wrist. "You are the leader of your council. What would you do in my position?" she asked. Windu leaned back, still holding her gaze. "You have been a great ally to us Elder Shan. That is not something the council would forget." he said. She relaxed immediately.

"Agree with Master Windu, I do. Send help, we shall. Accompany you, Master Kenobi will." Shan's heart warmed. "Thank you." she said, dipping her head respectfully. Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi followed her silently out of the chamber, leaving the others behind.

"So I finally get to meet the famous Sahrea Shan." Skywalker said with a sly smile. He was just as handsome as Obi-Wan, but in a different way. Kenobi had a wise look. His eyes were thoughtful, his mouth always pursed in thought. He moved like water, smoothly and swiftly. He had a quiet regality about him. He looked like he could be at home in a palace or the Senate just as much as the Jedi Temple. Skywalker though... he had more of a boyish charm. There was an air about him that drew your eye when you entered the room. He was the kind that you weren't only attracted by his looks, but by his energy as well. He was like a wildfire or crackling lightning. Fire and water were those two. Opposites in their own respects, but somehow worked together perfectly. Shan smiled at the young general. He would be the same age as her sister Nyla.

"And I the famous Anakin Skywalker. I have heard many stories." she replied. She cocked an eyebrow at him. They had an immediate understanding, the two of them. In front of them, a staircase descended.

"I like the new look." Kenobi said. Shan had recently swapped her Echani-inspired armor for a bluish-grey pair of Jedi robes. The tunic underneath was long sleeved and colored white, bordered with navy and grey on the edges. It hung longer in the back than it did the front. She wore charcoal leggings and knee high black boots. She had pulled her white-gold hair up in a spiral bun, with a dark blue ribbon tracing through out. Two jaw length locks were free on each side of her face. She was pleased for the compliment.

"Thank you Obi-Wan. I thought it would help me blend better if I had a more Jedi-like appearance and showed my face." she replied as they descended down the stairs. Her robes billowed behind her as a draft blew past them and the wisps of hair fluttered by her cheeks. "It suits you." he said warmly. Skywalker made a smug face next to the general, but said nothing.

"So Iveria. Why would someone go poking around your temple?" he asked as they stepped onto level ground. Her dark brows pulled together in thought. "I'm not sure. I might be able to guess if I knew who it was, but I have no information." she replied. "Do you think it could be one of Dooku's agents? Kenobi asked. Shan tugged on her right sleeve. "Most likely. I don't know who else would care enough to go prodding around. Pirates or scavengers maybe. The things of any value are locked up tight in the temple, and even then, they wouldn't be worth much to a non-Force user." she said as they turned a corner. The speeder pad was up ahead of them.

"How many times have these trespassers been seen?" Kenobi asked as he gestured to a saluting clone. "This is the fourth time." Anakin made a face. "If you're the last of your order, who exactly is your informant?" Skywalker questioned with a raised eyebrow. She gave him a lopsided smile. "Someone I trust." Anakin didn't question it further, but his face still held the question. As they approached the pad, a clone in blue painted armor waited for them.

"Sahrea Shan, this is my second in command, Captain Rex." Skywalker said as they approached. Rex examined her with a soldier's precision before responding. "Nice to meet you Consult." he said. The soldier's armor was scuffed and blaster worn; he had clearly seen a lot of war time. Tallies recording some sort of achievement immediately caught Shan's curiosity. A symbol Sahrea immediately recognized as Jaig Eyes sat on the forehead of his helmet. She knew because it was the same symbol tattooed on her ribs. The brave clone stared her down from behind his visor.

"You as well Captain." They eyed each other warily. She got the feeling the captain didn't fully trust her. Fair enough. She probably wouldn't trust her either.

"This is our cue to leave." Skywalker said as a clone parked a speeder to their right. He hopped out and stood at attention. "Keep an eye on Obi-Wan for me, would ya? He has a tendency to get himself into trouble." the general stated, causing Kenobi to make a face. "I believe what he meant to say is that he has a tendency to get me into trouble with his two second, convoluted plans." Skywalker smirked. "You mean my brilliant plans?" Kenobi rolled his eyes. "If that what you what to call them." Shan liked the way they communicated. They were like brothers, these two. They had the ability to have unspoken conversations through only eye contact, something that only came through years of interaction and memories made. They were each like a language the other spoke fluently.

"It was a pleasure to meet you Anakin." she said, reaching out a hand. "You too Sahrea." he clasped it in a handshake. The odd, uneven feel of his hand beneath the glove told her it was mechanical. Skywalker shot a glance towards Kenobi, in it, a statement that Shan couldn't read. She could tell it was smug. Kenobi sent one back, all sass. She wished she knew what they said.

The Gray and Jedi hopped into the speeder, Kenobi in the driver's seat, Shan in the passenger's seat.

"So what's the plan?" he asked as they pulled away. Sahrea swallowed. She wasn't too fond of that question. That implied authority, that she was in charge. In a matter of months, she had gone from Ashla Adept to Palatial Elder and military consult. That was a lot of responsibility to take on for someone who previously had very little. She formulated the vague shape of a plan in her head.

"Well first we'll talk to my informant and find out any information we can on the intruders. Then we can check out the temple." she said meekly as they swerved their way around various speeders. The army's hanger loomed ahead of them.

They docked at the temple before catching a gunship up to The Negotiator, Kenobi's capital ship. Once on board, Shan followed the general to the bridge. There stood Cody, looking over a map she recognized well: Iveria.

"Hello Consult. Good to see you again." the Ghost Company Commander said as he looked up. She gave him a closed lip smile. "And you Cody." He turned to Obi-Wan and the two, along with another clone, all began chatting about something foreign to Sahrea. As they turned the conversation to more neutral ground, Shan stayed quiet. She wanted to join in, but didn't have much to say. Her anxiety didn't help either. She had a tendency to get quiet when she was nervous. She tugged on the sleeve of her periwinkle cloak. The Gray had the urge to leave the bridge, to walk around and let her mind wander. She had to relax. She would be home soon.

Bindo Village was where she had grown up. The front was made of small houses and buildings. In the back, at the base of the Varhari Mountain, was the temple. It had seemed so big as a child. Indestructible. Scary. Now it was vulnerable and it was her job to guard it. She had to protect the Gray. She sighed.

Obi-Wan looked away from Cody and the clone, who called himself Selk, and began to look around. He turned his head this way and that before his eyes fell on her. He broke away from them and made his way over to her. She balled up the fabric of her sleeve.

"Everything all right Sahrea? You're quiet." Kenobi asked gently. Shan dipped her head, pinching the bridge of her nose. A dozen responses danced across her tongue, none of which she chose.

"I'm just stressed." she said truthfully. Kenobi gave her a sympathetic look. "We will help you through this. You need to relax." he replied. "How about sparring?" Her heart warmed. She had once mentioned to the Jedi that sparring helped calm her. She was surprised he remembered. They never did finish their duel from before. She opened her mouth to respond, but a voice interrupted her.

"We're ready to leave sir." Cody said. Kenobi nodded and they all migrated back to the hanger.

\---

Obi-Wan flipped a switch above his head as his starfighter dropped out of hyperspace. Shan, who did not have any pilot training, was with Cody and the rest of the squadron in a ship that popped into existence to his right. In front of him, Iveria loomed. It was a pale planet that was surrounded by a lovely ring of earth toned space dust. As he passed through the atmosphere and got closer to the surface, he could see that everything on the planet was pastel. White and eggshell and ivory, white tinged with pink, white tinged with purple, white tinged with orange. It was like some creature had sucked the vibrancy out of the planet. Even the sea was a silvery color. The forest below was filled with alabaster trees with a breath of green. As a large, pale, rose colored mountain grew in the distance, a humble village came into view. A castle like building nestled between. They landed on a pad outside the town and regrouped in the center.

"So your informant?" Cody asked. "He is here now." Shan replied. She turned as rustling from a nearby mint shaded bush with bright red berries caught her attention. A small child dashed out.

"Fire Fang!" he yelled, throwing his arms around her waist. He looked to be about eight. He had dark skin and hair that stood out stubbornly against the washed out background. His hair fell at the base of his neck and was combed straight back. He wore white robes and had simple armor made out of the same material as Shan's Echani armor. A miniature lightsaber hung at his waist. Sahrea smiled down at him. It warmed Kenobi's heart. "Hey Zirno!" she said, giving the boy a small hug. She touched the side of his innocent face as they pulled apart. "I'm assuming that's not your informant?" Kenobi said coyly. Shan laughed. It was a pretty sound.

"Not quite." a male voice said from behind a tree. Zirno stepped away from the Consult. "That would be me." Kenobi stared at the man that appeared. He was young, well built, attractive. He had dark hair and a skin tone that matched the dusty landscape. He had clear blue eyes and a strong jawline. An upturned nose sat above a smiling mouth. His expression was soft and affection as his gaze fell on Sahrea. Obi-Wan was off put immediately. For her part, Shan brought her hands to her face.

"Lano." she whispered. To Kenobi's surprise, she ran to the man. She threw her arms around him tightly. He reciprocated and took it one step further. He leaned down and kissed her hair. "I missed you so much." Lano said, brushing his hand against her white-gold bun. This brought heat to Obi-Wan's cheeks and a tingling to his fingers. A tightness built in his chest. He knew why he was reacting this way; it had happened before, with Satine Kryze. He had to let go. He took a deep breath. The anger ebbed away partially, but it was still there. Sahrea pulled away from Lano, but still kept an arm around him.

"Obi-Wan, Commander Cody, I'd like for you to meet my older brother Lano." she said, giving his ribcage a squeeze. Her brother. Kenobi wasn't sure what concerned him more; the discomfort he felt at thinking she had a significant other or the relief that washed over him after. All he knew was that he was in trouble either way. Lano dropped a toned arm over his sister's shoulders.

"It's nice to meet you Lano." Cody said to his right. He reached out a hand. "Same here Commander." Lano replied, giving Cody's armored hand a shake. "Master Kenobi." he said, turning to Obi-Wan. He took a deep breath before answering.

"It is a pleasure, Lano. Sahrea didn't mention she had a brother. In fact, she didn't mention anything about any other Gray Jedi surviving Dooku's attack. We thought you all were, well, dead." he said, a little peeved that Shan would have lied to not only him, but to the council as well. Sahrea's facial expression became one of guilt, almost as if she had heard his thoughts.

"For that I am truly sorry Obi-Wan." she explained. "But like I said, duty to my order, to my family, that comes first. It was safer for my order and your's if the truth was a secret." her logic made sense, but it still stung and was something she would have to discuss with the council. Again. They were forgiving of her keeping her identity as the descendent of Revan and Bastila Shan a secret. Kenobi was unsure if they would be as merciful a second time around. It was hard to remember that she wasn't a Jedi sometimes, that she had as much dark in her as light. This was common knowledge, yet it always surprised him when that dark came out.

Lano motioned for them to follow him as he and his sister broke apart. Zirno ran up and began chattering to the Consult about his recent training with someone named Gare-Ahni. Lano slowed to walk with the general. Cody and the clones were following behind.

"Thank you for helping us. We owe the Jedi and the Republic a great amount for sending us help." the elder Shan said. "Well it's the least we could do. Your order was nearly destroyed over our war. Your sister willingly volunteered to assist us. She has been a great asset." Kenobi said. Sahrea hadn't spoken much of her brother. Was he of Bogun or Ashla? He couldn't tell from his aura. Lano smiled as Sahrea's back. "That's my sister. The boy that's with her was her pupil. She had begun training him a few months before Dooku showed up." he explained. "She could have stayed here, finished Zirno's training, protected us, but she knew that wouldn't do any good as long as the Separatists were out there. She risked her life by serving the Republic. She can never do anything the easy way." Kenobi smirked. "I've gathered as much. She once told me that anything easy in life isn't worth doing." Lano chuckled. "That sounds like her."

They fell quiet as a small camp appeared within the gaps in the trees. Tents had been pitched in a small clearing. A fire was rolling in the center. Crates of food, clothing, and medical supplies were scattered around the area. There looked to be around fourteen Gray Jedi left. Zirno took off, running towards a group of four other children. Sahrea's face was downtrodden. Many people looked over and waved at her. She reciprocated. Cody and Obi-Wan followed the siblings to a tent on the opposite side of the camp.

The inside was bare. There was a mat on the floor for sleeping, a pack, and a lantern. The five of them sat in a circle. Lano put a device in the center. It blinked before a hologram illuminated the area. It showed three Falleen slinking up the old stone stairs of the temple. They tried to break down the door, but were unsuccessful. The thugs turned to leave. The hologram ended. Sahrea made a sour face.

"Well they don't look like pirates or scavengers, nor are they Separatists." she said. Kenobi rubbed his beard. "I agree. Something doesn't add up." he responded as Cody replayed the hologram. He looked deep in thought, but didn't say anything. "Let's head to the village and check the temple." Sahrea said. She stood up, her robe swaying around her legs. She looked so at home here among these people. Though she was nervous, there was a familiarity of her being here and with that, a confidence. Kenobi couldn't take his eyes off her.

\---

"Everything looks fine out here." Sahrea said, examining the battle scarred. Bindo Village. It was her, Kenobi, Cody, and a squad of five clones. Lano had stayed behind in case the trespassers found themselves in the camp. The metal houses were falling down due to damage, not weather. Shrapnel and residue from some type of explosive took out the corner of two houses. Broken battle droids too numerous to count lied around the area.

The village had a wide main road with smaller ones branching off to the back streets. It was quite small. The remains of shattered pottery adorned the front of one house. Straight ahead, past a marble fountain with missing chunks, was the entrance to the temple.

Shan was distant. She walked slowly through the village. She stopped by a modest, two story home. The door had been ripped off its hinges. Blaster marks charred the front facade. Oddly, a box of pale purple flowers attached to the window sat untouched. A lightsaber cut stretched across from the window to the doorframe.

"Your home?" he asked gently. "Yes. I grew up here." she replied, her voice barely over a whisper. She stuck her fingers in the gash of the lightsaber cut. "This is where Grievous killed my father." She pulled her hand away. "And there," she said, pointing at the threshold of the fountain. "is where Dooku stabbed my mother." Sahrea stepped away before Kenobi could respond.

She led them down the dirt street to the steps of the stone temple. It was a large, square building, with triangular peaks. It reminded Kenobi of some ancient castles he had seen. She reached out her hand in front of a grey brick. A click resonated from some deep in the stone. A circular cut out pulled away, turning as it did. The large, heavy doors slid open. The cut out refit itself seamlessly back into the wall.

Kenobi waited for Shan before entering the temple. It was dark inside. It became the color of pitch as the doors shut of their own accord. A moment later, lights flickered to life, revealing Sahrea with a raised hand. She turned her wrist as more lights illuminated the area.

The temple was exquisite. The main room had a high ceiling. The walls, ceilings, and floor were all made of the same slate colored stone. A plush red carpet worn from wear covered the ground below them. Two large bookcases reached up to the ceiling, the top shaded in shadow. On each shelf sat rows of texts so ancient they were written on parchment. In the center of the room was a round wooden table. On top of the tabletop was a black cloth in a diamond shape. The points touched the floor, while the gray trimmed sides exposed the deep brown wood. Three ghostly spheres of light floated above it.

At the back of the vestibule was a large archway jutting out of the wall. Inside was a painting depicting what Kenobi could only describe as the balance of the Force. The left side of the portrait represented the Dark Side of the Force. The X shaped symbol for Bogun was there, along with scenes of war and power. The right was the Light Side. The rounded shape that represented the Ashla was surrounded by illustrations of peace and meditation. In the center was the Gray. A Y shaped symbol sat there, one unfamiliar to Kenobi. Above it was two warriors caught in an eternal battle. Below it was the same warriors, their blades behind them, bowing to one another.

"Fan out. Look for anything out of the ordinary, texts on the floor, open chests, missing holocrons, the like." Shan said. Cody and the others turned down the hallways to their left and right. They skirted the outside of the main vestibule and led to the rest of the temple. Kenobi motioned to follow Cody.

"Not you Obi-Wan." Sahrea said. He turned to face her. "I have a special task for you." He cocked an eyebrow at her. "Oh really?" he said. She smirked at him and jutted her head to the left, indicating he should follow. She led him to the Force mural.

"I'm entrusting you with a secret." she said, her voice sweet. "I need you to be my Ashla." He cocked his head at her. "Your Ashla?" Sahrea stepped over to his side. She gently took his hand. It sent a sensation through his fingers up into his elbow. It had been easy before, to ignore his feelings. It had been hard when they were on Canarath. It was nearly impossible now.

"You see, this isn't just a mural." she explained, lifting his hand and pressing it flat against the wall. It was right over the Ashla symbol. Her hand was small next to his. "This is where we keep our most precious secrets. However," she said with a pause, her fingers falling into the gaps of his before pulling away. He looked to her face. He exhaled gently through his nose, his breath quivering the loose strands around her face. She looked up to him, her eyes matching the stone around them. They held a winsome emotion, soft and affectionate. "you need two to open it." her words tickled his beard. She stepped away. She still held his gaze.

"One with the light side for Ashla." she said, moving to the other end of the portrait. "One of Bogun." Kenobi looked to his hand. The little figures in the paintings were moving and shifting as if they were alive. The background swirled. Two ancient Force users floated as they meditated. Under Shan's touch, the warriors continued their centuries long battle. They slashed and jabbed and dodged.

"And then," she said, taking her hand off the illustration. She reached her hand out for him. "we meet in the Ceros. The middle. The Gray." she finished. Both she and Obi-Wan touched the Y shaped symbol of Ceros. There was a clunk as two divides split down the painting. They were sloped at an angle, cutting arch into three parts: Ashla, Bogun, and Ceros. Ashla and Bogun shot down into the floor while Ceros raised up. It revealed a blackened doorway. Deep inside the hidden vault, a small white light flickered high above. Then a second. Then a third. Thousands of lights as numerous as the stars winked to life above their head. It draped the area in a gentle light.

This vault was mostly empty. There was a statue of an aged man with facial hair overlooking the room. His gaze seemed to say Yea, I do things my way. Got a problem with that? From his clothes and crossguard saber, Kenobi could tell he was from the era of the Old Republic. He deduced that this man was likely Jolee Bindo, the founding member of the Gray Jedi Order.

Angled out from Bindo's statue were three shelves made of a rich, dark wood. One sat on a white rug with a gold trimmed, eggshell cloth ornately draped over the top. On the other side, directly opposite, the same shelf sat on a black rug. It had a dark grey and silver cloth covering the top with no grace or beauty. On the shelves of the white shelf sat the blue, cube shaped holocrons of the Jedi Order. On the left one, the red, triangular holocrons of the Sith.

These were fascinating alright, but what interested Kenobi was the third shelf. It was in the back, in front of Jolee. It had a black cloth draped down the back of the left side and a white cloth down the back of the right side. On this , pale purple holocrons in the shape of a tall diamond floated over the ledge.

"You noticed our holocrons?" she noted. She led him to the shelf. She plucked one off. "Everything in order is designed to appeal either the Dark or Light, even our holocrons." she said. She opened it. The bottom half of the diamond opened up. It twisted upwards as the top shifted. The end result was a strange looking pyramid shape. "Or," she placed the holocron down and picked up another. Once she released it, it folded back into its triangular form. The one she currently held in her hand began to shift like the first one, but it molded itself into the shape of a fancy cube. Shan gave a smile and returned it to its spot on the shelf. "Most peculiar." Kenobi said. He was immediately hit with the urge to study them. He would ask Sahrea about that later.

They did a quick sweep of the area and found nothing out of place, nor did Cody and the other clones. The two Force users left the vault and regrouped in the main vestibule.

"The men have one more wing to sweep." Kenobi said as he turned his back of Sahrea to examine a nearby text. They had some incredible literature in this temple.

Obi-Wan was calm at that moment, plaintive as he assessed the books. Then he heard something that spiked his adrenaline up: the activation of a lightsaber. He spun around to Sahrea to see what the trouble was, but she was just looking back at him with the same face. Her lightsabers were on her waist. A laugh came from a shadowy corner, one that chilled Kenobi to his core.

"Well, well I wasn't expecting to run into you today, Kenobi, but I must say I'm glad I did." Obi-Wan turned his head. There was Maul, glowing red in the light of his double ended saber, grinning sadistically. "It gives me another chance to kill you." Shan's sabers were already out.

"Get out of my temple." she hissed as her cloak hit the floor. Maul clucked his tongue at her. "I can not do that unfortunately. I still need one more thing." her cheeks reddened with anger. As for Maul, he examined her in a way that made Kenobi's blood boil. He watched her how a hunter watches his prey, slow, easylike. Carefree. The Jedi grabbed his saber. Maul will take no one else from him. He launched himself at the former Sith.

"Obi-Wan!" Sahrea shouted, clearly surprised. Maul blocked his strike before jumping into the center of the vestibule. Maul slashed the backend of his saber at Sahrea. The Gray blocked and stabbed out at him with her silver saber. He sidestepped before Force pushing her into the wall. She collapsed, her sabers laying on the ground in front of her. Kenobi forced pulled her purple-hilted silver saber to his hand and slashed at Maul. The Nightbrother caught every strike. Maul got under his skin like no one else. He killed Qui-Gon, took Mandalore, murdered Satine...

"I sense you anger, Kenobi." Maul said as they locked sabers again. Everytime he said his name it sounded repugnant, like an insult. The Dathomirian spun as a flash of orange came for him. Kenobi, Maul, and Sahrea Shan. They were in a triangle formation, Jedi, Gray, former Sith. Light, dark, and somewhere in the middle.

Shan struck first. She was having as hard a time as he was with the former Darth. Kenobi could see it on her face. She stabbed out at his chest as Obi-Wan aimed for his mechanical legs. Maul dodged both and kicked Kenobi under the ribs. He immediately dropped to the ground, gasping for breath and holding back bile.

"I've had enough." Maul's voice said. It sounded as if Kenobi had cotton in his ears. He looked up from his hands and knees. The Nightbrother jumped and slammed his saber onto Shan's orange and silver one. She blocked it at the last second, but was thrown roughly to the floor from the weight of the blow. Maul landed over top of her with a clunk, a hand on her delicate throat. Kenobi was still reeling from that kick. She reached for her sabers, but Maul used the Force to wrench them out of her hands.

"No, no." he catcalled. Obi-Wan tried to stand up as Sahrea tried desperately to pull herself out of his iron grip. Maul looked Kenobi in the eye, dark and dangerous. Shan was reeling under his grip, her breaths labored. The general got to his feet as Maul reached his hand up. He brought it down and put a thumb to Sahrea's forehead. Her body went limp. He gave Kenobi a wicked smile as he slipped a hand under the Gray.

"Maul..." Kenobi managed to get out. He stumbled a few feet, gripping onto a row of texts. The former Sith flipped the unconscious Consult over his shoulder. He stopped at the threshold. He looked back at the hobbling Jedi.

"A new era is coming, Kenobi. Soon the tide will shift and a new dawn will come, a crimson dawn. One that will run red with the blood of Jedi and Sith alike." he stated, readjusting Sahrea on his shoulder. Maul gave a chuckle. "A crimson dawn. I rather like the sound of that."

With that, he disappeared out the door, taking Sahrea Shan with him.


	10. Investigation on Iveria Pt. 2

The Zabrak male squatted down to where Sahrea Shan lay crumpled on the ground, gasping for breath. Her abdomen was flipping in pain. She had to swallow back the contents of her stomach. Her face was warm. She could tell it was beginning to swell from where he slammed her into the floor. She looked up into his yellow eyes. They were burning. The male picked her up by her throat and shoved the Gray hard into the wall of the empty cargo hold on his ship. Spots danced in front of her vision. Shan clawed at his arm weakly.

"I think I have your attention now." he stated, releasing his grip. Shan stayed on her feet, gripping onto his arm to stay upright. He allowed it, surprisingly.

"What do you want?" she asked bitterly, pulling her hand away from his arm. She leaned back against the wall. This Zabrak was unsettling. Forgetting the fact that he was completely engulfed in the Dark Side of the Force, there was just something about him. The way he studied everything like it were a machine he planned to disassemble. The way he moved, smooth and calculated, but restrained. It was almost as if he relaxed, he would fall apart. Even the way he dueled, with such savage, strategic ferocity, all pointed to a warrior who was crafted from years of studying, pain, loss, and possibly even insanity. The male stepped back. His jaw was set, his arms were crossed, shoulders squared, xanthous eyes determined.

"Not what I want. What I need, and what I need is you." he said simply. She gripped onto the wall, staring at him from behind a lock of white-gold hair that had been forced loose. "Why?" she asked, tucking the lock behind her ear. The Zabrak gave her a curious look. "Because you are not a Jedi." She made a face. "And you aren't a... Sith, your point?" she replied, voice labored with pain. He gave her a wicked smile. "You are an observant one." he noted. "But no, not quite yet. You will find out soon." Shan wiped blood from her nose.

"What shall I call you, not-Sith?" she asked dryly. Neither of them had moved. The male was still standing stiffly across from her, his presence like a barrier. Shan was still leaning up against the wall.

"I am called Maul." he said. Maul. She immediately knew who she was dealing with. Obi-Wan had told her the story. If this Zabrak could kill a Jedi as skilled as Qui-Gon Jinn, he was not to be taken lightly. He was also the one who defied death, shattering his mind in the process.

"You are young to be the leader of your entire order." Maul observed. They were both being quite civil considering one had taken the other hostage. Shan pffted at him. "You can thank your pal Dooku for that." Like the flick of a switch, his demeanor changed. Maul went from composed and detached to enraged in a breath. He leapt forward and slammed his hands on the wall on each side of her body, his mouth in a snarl. She instinctively turned her face away. "Do not mention that Sith pretender to me!" he shouted, his words hot against her cheek. Shan tried to hide her fear the best she could, but she knew she did a poor job. Maul stayed like that, his face inches away from hers, mouth curled in a sneer, before backing away. He created distance between them. Once he was far enough away, Shan decided to make her move. She snapped her arm out.

Maul scrambled away as the double bladed saber at his waist ignited of its own accord. It pulled away from his body as it took up a ghostly fighting form. Shan focused intently, her body shaking slightly with the effort. She had mastered the Trayus form with one saber long ago, but was still learning how to control two. With a double bladed saber, it was awkward to duel with. She had never even attempted. Rumor has it Darth Traya, the Sith Lord the form was named after, was able to maneuver three. Shan wasn't sure if she believed that. That would be incredibly difficult and required an absurd amount of skill. 

Maul moved slickly around her sloppy strikes. For a moment, she thought she had taken him off guard with the little known lightsaber form, but now, looking at his stone faced expression, she wasn't so sure. Maul tried to pull his saber to him, but Shan broke his concentration sending his saber at him like a spear. He back flipped over it. 

"I see why Kenobi is so... fond of you." Maul said as his saber came to a stop behind him. Sahrea kept her focus, but his words resonated with her. Kenobi was fond of her? What did that mean? She shook her head free of those thoughts. She twisted the red blade and cut into Maul's bicep. He hissed, a animalesque sound.

"Enough!" he snapped, rage in his voice. He reached out in a Force choke. Shan released her hold on his saber as she attempted to inhale past the invisible hand wrapped around her windpipe. Maul shoved his hand up. Sahrea slammed into the ceiling of the cargo hold. He released his grip and she became a victim of gravity. She free fell onto the metal floor. The second the initial shot of pain passed, Shan knew something was wrong. It hurt to breathe. It hurt to move her arms and legs, her neck. Even moving her wrist sent a shock wave of pain through her being. Maul came over to her side. He had a sympathetic look on face. 

"I wanted to bend you. I did not mean to break you quite so soon." he said, looking down at her. She couldn't even speak. Tear slipped down the sides of her face. She hated herself in that moment for allowing Maul to see the pain he inflicted on her so outwardly. The Zabrak looked up and ushered someone over. He squatted down, pulling something out of his chest pocket as he did. It was the diamond shape of Ceros holocron.

"You... bastard." she managed to force out, the end of the sentence cutting off sharply. He had no idea the significance of what he held in his hand. He smiled at her coolly. "We're gonna get you fixed up so you can help me open this." he said, wiggling the diamond between his fingers. He tapped her forehead. That was when her vision darkened and she got very sleepy. 

\---

When Shan awoke, she wasn't entirely sure where she was or what had happened. Above her, white lights beamed onto her face. It took a few blinks for it to come into focus. She was in a medbay. Sahrea rolled over on her side, letting loose a scream. There was an agonizing pain going up and down her spine. She remembered all at once the excruciating hours of treatment to the four fractures in the vertebrae of her spine, the forced bonding of her bones. It could have been worse; Maul did not damage her spinal cord, which could have ended in irreparable paralysis. 

Shan dug her fingers into the pillow under her head, taking heaving breaths as the throbbing in her vertebrae receded. In the back of her mind, she wondered why Maul bothered healing her at all. It certainly wasn't out of the goodness of his heart. Her heart rate kicked up as the door on the opposite wall slid open. The former Sith stepped in. 

"The doctor told me you were awake. I'm glad to see it." he said pleasantly. The tone of his voice did not mask the malicious look in his eyes. Shan hated lying down in front of him. It made her feel so vulnerable. But there was no way she could sit up with her back still healing. So she tried to look as intimidating as she could from snuggled under a white blanket.

"What's the point of fixing me up if you're just going to kill me?" she spat. He chuckled. Maul stepped over and sat down on the edge of her bed. He leaned forward and grasped her jaw in his hand, not tight enough to hurt, but enough to get his point across. "Well I need you alive and functioning to open my holocron." he said smugly. "And, between you and me, I have a selfish reason too." He leaned in closer. Sahrea could see flecks of red in his yellow irises. "I am looking forward to watching Kenobi's horrified face when I gut you in front of him." Maul smiled sadistically. He shoved her face into the pad roughly as he stood up, sending a jab of pain from her neck into her back. She inhaled sharply as Maul left the room. Shan pulled the blanket up to her chin, alone with her thoughts. 

Obi-Wan where are you?

\---

Kenobi looked over his shoulder as Anakin Skywalker entered onto the bridge of The Negotiator. The general acknowledged the saluting clones with a dismissive hand. Obi-Wan said nothing as his friend approached. He was severely stressed. The last time Maul held someone he cared about hostage, it ended with a lightsaber through her heart. Sahrea was different than Satine, he kept reminding himself, but it did not escape him that that was still a major possibility.

"No hello my master?" Skywalker said, trying to lighten the elder Jedi's mood. Kenobi looked at him, expressionless. "Hello Anakin." he said flatly. He resumed staring at the holomap hovering in front of him. He could feel his friend watching him. He also felt his concern.

"I'm fine. I just need to find Maul." he spoke, answering Anakin's unspoken question. Cody and Rex were talking near the front of the bridge, leaving the two alone. "Things will be different this time Obi-Wan." he said confidently. Kenobi nodded slightly. Maul and his apprentice Savage Opress, who hadn't been seen in weeks, had killed Jedi Master and council member, Adi Gallia, in the Republic's attempt to apprehend them when the last opportunity arose. Who may die this time? He exhaled stiffly. 

"Well the original intruders were Falleen, so that means Maul could still be allied with the Black Sun and his last known trajectory could have him dropping out of hyperspace in their territory." Obi-Wan explained, crossed his arms. "What about her brother?" Skywalker asked. Kenobi had debriefed them on the whole situation after Sahrea had been taken, which was bordering on forty-eight standard hours now. "Lano was going to come, but I convinced him to stay behind in case Maul, Savage or any of his men came back." This caught the knight's attention. "Was Savage there?" Anakin asked, trying to hide the worry in his voice. No one in the Order could forget that monster easily. "No, he is still unaccounted for." Kenobi squeezed his bicep. Cody and Rex made their way over to them. He barely noticed their blurry forms past the holographic map. His eyes were on a cluster of planets. There was Tatooine, Rodia, and Cristophsis, all three touched by their war. 

"Hello generals. Where are we headed?" Cody asked, trying to sound optimistic. In reality, he was just as worried about the Gray as Kenobi. Obi-Wan finally tore his eyes away from the shifting star map. "Follow Maul's trajectory." he said. He took each of Shan's sabers in his hands. They incited some curiosity in him. He never got a chance to really study them.

The silver bladed saber with the deep purple hilt was clearly crafted by Sahrea. It was new and barely battle worn. It had a design that was both simple and beautiful. The unique color of the hilt was also a testament to the Gray and her unusualness. This one was very, well, Sahrea.

The other however, had a different feel. It was old. He could tell not only by the dents and scratches in the silver metal, but by the hilt design. It was one used about two hundred years ago, not by the Gray, but by the Jedi. Another thing was the color. Her saber was that brilliant orange, a color not common in the Jedi Order anymore. He could think of only about a dozen Jedi who wielded a persimmon blade. Even in the Gray camp, he saw very few colored sabers. All were that same silver. Kenobi was jostled out of his thoughts unexpectedly by his commander. 

"We're going to follow Maul's trajectory and drop out of hyperspace right before we enter Black Sun territory." Cody informed him. His commander could tell he wasn't paying attention to their battle planning. "Then you and I will enter undercover and see what we can find out." Anakin said. Kenobi nodded numbly.

Maul's trajectory had him aiming for a planet in the outer rim, one called Krytenwulf. Krytenwulf was apart of the Bright Jewel sector, which was near Arazadel and Ord Mantell. It wasn't known for much. It was mostly tan rock, toxic steam, and volcanoes. Lots of volcanoes. However, there was one thing it was known for: Helios. Helios was the largest settlement on the planet and it belonged to the Black Sun. Well, settlement was a strong word for it. It was more a compilation of dirty cantinas and smuggling rings disguised as storefronts. Its citizens were no more than pirates, off-duty bounty hunters, and smugglers. Instead of police patrolling the streets looking for law breakers, there were Black Sun grunts making sure no one killed each other. That was as far as legislation went there. Murder was bad for business.

Kenobi and Skywalker donned a pair of cloaks and took off in impounded smuggler's shuttle. It was a Atreemian Starbreacher, Coaxium Model. The interior of the streamlined ship had more compartments than their security team could find. It had a modified engine that doubled its speed. Skywalker sat down in the pilot's seat with Kenobi in the co-pilot's. The Jedi Master shifted in anxious anticipation.

"Would you like me to drive Anakin?" he asked. His pupil gave him a smug look. "After all we've been through, you still don't trust my flying?" he replied innocently, flipping a switch above his head. "That is precisely why I don't trust your flying. You don't so much fly, you crash with style." Skywalker rolled his eyes. He flashed Obi-Wan a smirk. "If you drove, it would take us seven rotations to get to Helios." he said as the ship levitated into the air. "At least we would land in one piece, emphasis on the word land." Kenobi replied as the ship shot forward. In front of them, Krytenwulf grew, a yellow and orange behemoth. Behind it, Bright Jewel, the large, blue sun that all the planets orbited, shown brilliantly. 

Kenobi reached out with his feelings as they descended down into Krytenwulf's atmosphere. Whether he liked it or not, he disliked it very much, he and Maul were connected. He hoped he that allowed him to sense the former Sith. If he couldn't sense Maul, maybe he could sense Sahrea. 

Below them, the rundown city of Helios grew among the dusty, tan landscape. Yellow grasses swayed like an ocean in the sulfuric breeze. The sky turned from black to a light green. The pale yellow clouds were wispy and filled with thick gases. The settlement was situated at the base of the Elixean Volcano. Elixean was a tall, sloping pyramid of a land mass. The sides were bumpy and uneven from years of eruptions hardening over time. The top spouted opaque, gray smoke into the sky. 

The town itself was small. It was only made of three parallel roads and two that ran perpendicular. There were two landing pads at each end of the town. The buildings, none of which were homes, were constructed sloppily out of rusted metal plates. The porous surface of the roofs implied acid rain. The material was strong enough to prevent it from burning through, but it wouldn't last forever. 

Anakin angled their ship down to the western pad. Both landing pads were filled with a dozen ships. As they touched down, Kenobi released his concentration. He couldn't sense anyone's presence but Skywalker's.

They both flicked up their hoods in unison. Making sure to cover their lightsabers with their cloaks, they stepped down into Helios.

The thing Kenobi saw was surprisingly empty street. To their left, a female Zabrak lounging against the wall of a cantina entertaining about three people. She had a hand on the shoulder of a Devaronian, who was sitting on a bench near the entrance. He had been leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, but sat back in interest as the two newcomers. He whispered something to the female. She stared at them intently as she responded. Even undercover they drew attention. Kenobi's eyes fell on the most populated tavern on the street.

"There looks like a good place to start." he said, heading for it. Skywalker trailed behind for a moment before stepping up to Kenobi's side. "So we're not going to discuss it?" Anakin asked as they followed the terracotta road. Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow. "Discuss what?" he replied as they passed a shop selling very illegal weapons. Skywalker gave him a smirk. "What do you think of Sahrea?" he asked slyly. Kenobi sighed. "Anakin, what are you getting at?" he inquired tiredly. He wanted to find the Gray, not discuss her. Skywalker shrugged nonchalantly. "She's talented, smart, level headed, not to mention very pretty." Anakin said, shooting Kenobi a look at the last two words. His pulse beat uncomfortably in his stomach. He refused to meet his friend's gaze. "Yes she is. Your point?" he asked, not sure he wanted to know the answer. Skywalker sighed. "Are you gonna make me say it?" he complained as they reached the cantina. A drunk man stumbled out, arm in arm with a Aqualish.

"You... you and I are close, right?" the man slurred. "We're like brothers, you and me. We're gonna take the galaxy by storm, Til and... uhh... what's your name again?" he asked as the two wobbled by. Kenobi rolled his eyes at them. The Aqualish tripped over, well Kenobi assumed his own feet, cause nothing was in his way. He fell into the clay dirt. Til began to laugh too hard for the situation. He keeled over and ended up on the ground next to his newfound friend. Obi-Wan pushed through the doors to the cantina, which were hanging on by one rusted hinge. One strong wind or drunk patron would be enough to take it down.

"Anakin, you're going to have to be more specific." Kenobi replied to his pupil's question as he pushed past a Twi'Lek male. The cantina was dimly lit. There was a bartender in the center of the room. He was making drinks inside a circular bar. On the exterior were tables filled with species from every corner of the galaxy. The walls and floor were both a dingy, dirty grey. A few suspicious looking stains adorned the space. The tables were covered in grime. It had a very pungent scent. It was loud with the drunken conversations of the patrons. Kenobi could barely hear himself think. Skywalker shook his head dismissively.

"You're gonna make me say it." he said as they pushed through the large crowd. "I see how you look at her." His voice was barely audible over the noise. "It's the same way you looked at Satine." A knot formed in his stomach. This was not a conversation Kenobi wanted to have, especially right now. "Let's just focus on finding Maul." he shouted back. "And Sahrea." Kenobi shot him a look. He replied with a lopsided smile. 

They left the conversation there. Kenobi knew that wasn't the true end of it though. Skywalker would certainly press him later about it when Obi-Wan couldn't escape into a crowd of unsteady, too friendly scoundrels. They split off, both eavesdropping on the patrons as they passed. Kenobi caught snippets of sentences as he moved.

"...new model. It's supposed to be more accurate the the Mark Twelve..." that wasn't helpful. Kenobi moved around an Ithorian. His eyes fell on a promising looking Weequay, when someone caught his arm.

"Why hey there handsome." a very drunk woman said. She spun around and threw her left arm around Kenobi's neck. The woman took no mind of his impatient expression. She was a pretty lady, with dark hair and skin, eyes dilated from her drink, but her looks were not why he was here. Obi-Wan pulled her arm away gently.

"Hello ma'am, but you must excuse me. I'm looking for my friend." the general replied, ever the gentleman. "Whatever you say baby." she said, pushing away. She brushed her fingers through his beard as he did. "You know where to find me." she spoke slyly, but slurred. He let himself have one smug smirk at the fact a pretty woman had just hit on him before focusing back on his task.

"...well he's as intelligent as a bantha. I would never treat a beautiful lady such as yourself in such..." Not useful. He kept scanning the crowd. Obi-Wan rolled his eyes as he found Anakin. The handsome young general was surrounded by at least six females, all ogling at him. Although he was clearly trying to get them to leave, Obi-Wan could tell he was extremely pleased with attention. If that were Kenobi... he not so much. He wasn't a fan of that much attention. He liked to observe and blend in, which is why he was so good at collecting information this way, wandering around a public place, sitting quietly in a booth, ordering a drink while being completely tuned into what his neighbor was talking about. People had a tendency to be more open with their speech in crowded cantinas. It was a mix of alcohol and the guise of privacy through distraction. The other patrons were too loud and preoccupied to care about your conversation. This issue with that though, was you could never tell who was truly distracted or just pretending to be. He and Skywalker were definitely not the only two here gleaning information. He moved to the next table.

"...heard he is selling them for a good amount of credits. He'll be rich." This sentence made Kenobi slow his pace, but it ended up being of no importance. It was just about some small time smuggler's possible big break. Kenobi turned to his left and walked along the back wall. His eyes fell on a table in the middle. There. He hoped his luck was about to change.

Sitting in a booth with a female Zabrak and Twi'Lek, was a Falleen. He didn't have any Black Sun logos on, but Kenobi took the chance anyway. The odds of finding a Falleen on a Black Sun controlled planet and not be apart of Black Sun would be pretty slim, especially in a small outpost like this. The male laughed at something one of the women said before throwing back a swig of his liquor. He dropped the glass on the table before putting both arms around each of the females. The seat behind him was empty. Good. Obi-Wan made his way over and began to scan the crowd for Anakin, all while listening in on the Falleen's conversation. He had become a master at pretending not to listen.

The Falleen started off with silly, trivial things which turned into things Kenobi did not need to hear. His interest picked up as the Falleen's comm began to beep. Spotting Skywalker in the crowd, Obi-Wan gestured for him to come over nonchalantly, like they were just two friends meeting for a drink.

"I gotta go ladies." the Falleen said, disappointedly. "The boss is back." Kenobi's chest tightened. The boss. That had to be Maul. He drummed his fingers on the dirty table top. The women protested behind him, but the Falleen got up anyway. Skywalker slid across from him.

"You found something?" he said. Kenobi waited until the male was out of earshot. Skywalker's eyes flicked up at him and then back to Obi-Wan. He squeezed his bicep in anticipation. "Yes. He mentioned that his boss was back." he replied. Skywalker stood up immediately. "Well let's go pay him a visit before he gets too far." Kenobi nodded.

They both stood up and made their to the door quickly, without looking like they were in a rush. As soon as they were through the sweaty, alcohol impaired bodies, they both scanned the fairly abandoned street for the Falleen. For a cantina as packed as the one they just exited, there wasn't a lot of people mulling around. Perhaps that was because all the people were at the cantina.

"There." Anakin said. Their target was wobbling down the street to their left. They both sprinted after him. When they got close enough, they slowed to a walk as to not incite any paranoia in his impaired brain or seem too eager. They approached him shiftily.

"Hey." Kenobi said. The Falleen stopped and looked around in front of him, trying to find the source of the voice. Obi-Wan groaned inwardly. "Behind you." he added when the Falleen still didn't turn around. He immediately donned an apprehensive look.

"Can I help you two?" he asked, crossing his arms. It was such a common movement that most people would think nothing of it. Kenobi was not most people. He knew that the male was hiding a blaster or a knife in his sleeve. Likely the blaster. The general caught Anakin's eye and moved forward. 

"Would you mind stepping off to the side for a moment? We will make it worth your while." he said, pulling out a pouch of credits from his waist. The Falleen's glassy eyes fell on them hungrily. The three shifted their conversation over to the outside of a droid repair shop. The Falleen leaned up against it, trying to look intimidating. The fact he almost fell over trying to do it kinda killed the effect.

"Alright, what do you two want?" he asked with hostility. The alcohol did not dampen his mind enough to prevent him from realizing this was a serious conversation. Kenobi closed his hand around his cache of credits.

"Do you work for Black Sun?" he asked. The male tensed up noticeably. "No." he said instantly. Kenobi narrowed his eyes. The male was lying. "Oh well." Kenobi said, gesturing flippantly with the credits. "We were hoping to make a deal with their leader, but I guess we'll have to find some other way. A contact of mine said he would really be interested in what he had to offer." he embellished. "Wait." the Falleen said. Obi-Wan was a little disgusted with himself that moment. He hadn't realized how good at manipulating he had become; buying information, eavesdropping, bribery. He did not feel like a Jedi in that moment. In fact, he felt more like a Sith. That's what war did to you, he assumed, brought out the worst, especially when someone you cared about's life was on the line. Sahrea's life. Since she had been taken, he had tried to focus more on Maul and less on her, but her name brought that stab of anxiety back.

"Let's say I know a guy." he said, taking the bait. Skywalker stepped forward this time. "All we want is to meet with your leader. Easy. Tell us where to find him and we'll give you the credits and be out of your way." That was Anakin, always to the point. The Falleen scratched his cheek. "You'll find the boss on the east platform, in a Mandalorian ship. A Kritzo KT-23." he said. Kenobi tossed him the pouch of credits.

"One last question." he said, holding up a fifty credit piece he had snuck out. "What's your leader's name? We would like to make sure we are meeting with the correct person." The Falleen gave him a wicked smile. "Maul. You better be careful. He's not an easy negotiator. The last two left without their heads." Kenobi tossed the credits to him. "That'll do." he said. The Falleen took his payment and walked off. The two generals began to head for the pad.

"That was a little too easy." Kenobi said. Skywalker nodded in agreement. They both knew that if Maul didn't want to be found, he wouldn't have, plain and simple. He was way too intelligent. He had to have an ulterior motive. "This is probably a trap. So," Skywalker started, "when things go bad, just follow my lead." Kenobi raised an eyebrow. "Follow your lead? That'll likely makes things worse." 

\---

"No." Shan said flatly. She stared defiantly up at Maul. She was locked in the cargo hold of his ship. She had no idea where in the galaxy they were. All she knew was that if she tampered with the bonds too much, it gave her a nice shock that sent her heart rate into a sporadic rhythm. She was bound on the floor, but was still able to sit up. The former Sith squeezed the pale purple diamond in his hand. "You have no idea what you will unleash upon the galaxy if you open that holocron." she stated, staring up at him. She knew exactly which holocron he had taken. What she wanted to know was why. Maul looked disinterested in her warnings.

"I don't recall asking for your opinion. Now open it." Shan steeled herself. Maul jerked his neck to the side impatiently. "You became the Palatial Elder not through training and submission, but through death. There is a lot you don't know." he purred. He reached out and grabbed her hand. He squatted down. "For instance..." he pressed the holocron into her skin. It began to glow. Her heart seized in her chest. "You don't need to be a Gray to open one of these." he explained. The diamond began to expand in their clasped hands. Sahrea tried to wrench her hand away, to use the Force to send the holocron smashing on the floor, anything to prevent Maul from opening it. Better to have the information destroyed than Maul to know it. The holocron wouldn't budge. To make things worse, she couldn't move her other arm from the restraint. Actually, that wasn't a bad idea. Maybe if she tugged on it, she could shock Maul as well. "The presence of light is enough, which is something you have." The holocron finished transforming. It had bloomed into the strange, double sided pyramid of a Sith-esque holocron. Shan swore in her head as Maul pulled it away. It was too late now. "That will do nicely." he said, examining his prize. He looked back at her pitifully. "Such a shame. You would have made an excellent apprentice, had I been able to convert you." he said as he stood up.

"Why? Why that holocron?" she asked, keeping emotion out of her voice the best she could. He turned around in the threshold. "I told you. A new era is coming." he said as the door opened. He passed the holocron to a Falleen in the hallway.

Maul pressed a button. Her bindings detached from the wall, but were still around her wrists and ankles. She got stiffly to her feet, her back still barking in pain. Her knees popped from sitting on the floor for so many hours. She hadn't slept a wink, well, except for when Maul knocked her out. When she straightened, Maul was standing right in front of her. She hadn't even noticed he moved. He ignited his saber, turning the sides of their faces red.

"Time to go."


	11. Investigation on Iveria Pt. 3

Maul grabbed Shan and put his lightsaber over her chest. It wasn't even touching her and it still managed to burn her skin through her robes. Maul walked her into the hallway with a tight grip over her collarbone and throat. She could feel his body against her back. He was smart enough not to give her even the slightest bit of wiggle room and she expected nothing less.

They weaved their way to the docking ramp. It was a large ship, so there were too many twists and turns for Shan to keep track of. It was dark hallway, dark hallway, door, dark hallway. It had a sulfurous smell as well but she couldn't tell if that was from the ship or the outside.

Maul was quiet the whole way. It wasn't a silence of concentration or anxiety, but one of anticipation. He wanted Obi-Wan and he was coming because of her. Her stomach got a negative, fluttering feeling.

They reached the ramp. A light flashed red to their right before a long, monotone beep sounded. The ramp descended in a cloud of exhaust. Maul shoved her roughly onto the slope. As the fog cleared, she saw two smoky silhouettes in the distance.

"Kenobi." Maul said. Once the vapor was completely gone, she could see it was indeed her general. Just seeing him relieved a good amount of her anxiety. Obi-Wan stood there, more grim than Sahrea had ever seen him. His gaze fell on her and his face became even stonier. Did she really look that bad? She figured that the bruise covering the right side of her face must have darkened nastily by now. There was blood on her robes and down her face. She had also barely slept and Maul had given her very little food. In short, she probably looked horrendous.

"Well I'm here Maul. Now let her go." he said, dropping his cloak. His voice was tight. He looked like he had slept even less than her. He and Skywalker ignited their sabers at the same time. Maul forced Shan forward onto the cement of the pad. He dug his fingers into her shoulder.

"The first time I stabbed Qui-Gon Jinn through the stomach." he said. Kenobi went pale, but his face still held that fierce look. "The second time I stabbed Satine Kryze through the chest." In the back of her mind, Shan wondered what Satine Kryze, the deceased Queen of Mandalore, had to do with anything, but considering she had a former Sith Lord's saber at her throat, she didn't think on it too much. Maul angled his blade up towards her windpipe, quick and sudden. Sahrea recoiled, pressing her face into the Zabrak's shoulder to avoid contact. He donned a wicked smile. "I'm thinking this time, I continue moving up and go with the throat." He brought it so close enough to her skin, that she could feel the vibration. Her heart thumped wildly. She had no doubt that Maul would kill her, given the chance. Kenobi tightened his grip on his saber hilt. Shan noticed that he had both of her sabers on his belt. A plan formulated in her mind.

The Zabrak forced her closer to Obi-Wan once again. There was no real reason for this other than Maul relishing the pain it caused the Jedi. They were about three large steps apart.

"What do you want Maul? You already have the holocron." Shan asked, although she was in no position to ask questions. Her heart was pounding so hard, it hurt. Her body was trembling, but she was trying to control it. Maul could already sense how afraid she was; she didn't need him seeing it too. The former Sith cackled. "I just want to see how long it will take for Kenobi to break." Obi-Wan stepped forward and lifted his cyan saber to Maul's ear. They stood there in their stalemate, neither one budging. It felt eternal. Then Maul smirked before twitching his saber in towards Sahrea's throat. It would have gone through, but a deafening crash threw all of them amuck.

Maul lost his grip on Shan. As she flew through the air, the only thing she could focus on was not spreading her limbs too far. She did not want to get shocked again. It would probably stop her heart. She put her hands down to catch herself. She hit the concrete hard, skidding along the pad like a piece of cargo. Her back, which had just begun to feel better, screamed at the impact. Her vision was blurs of green, grey, and yellow. She came to a standstill. Something silver winked at her. It was Maul's abandoned saber, lost in the explosion. As she Force pulled the hilt to her hand, she saw two Republic bombers flying off into the distance. Maul's ship was nothing but fire and twisted metal.

One half of the double blade ignited. Shan left it suspended above the concrete as she flipped up, slicing the bonds connecting her wrists and feet as she did. She grabbed the airborne hilt. The bottom blade burst to life as she scanned the area.

They were on a landing pad with a variety of ships. The sky was green. There were cargo crates all over the area. That's all she was able to take in before her gaze zeroed in on Maul. She sprinted at him, running on pure adrenaline. She vaulted herself over a crate towards where the former Sith was lying on his back. He caught sight of her at last moment.

Sahrea leapt in the air and brought the saber down over the Zabrak's body. Maul pulled the nearest two hilts to his hand. He ignited them in an orange and cyan X, blocking her strike. He kicked her in the stomach with his metal foot, forcing the Gray back. She stumbled away, spots prickling her vision. Maul slashed at her with the two sabers. She deflected them, bottom half then top. She was grateful that Nyla had a double blade. Sahrea had practiced with it a few times over the years. Ended up not being her thing, as she vastly preferred her two sabers, but now she was grateful for the experience. It kept her movements from being completely awkward.

Shan and Maul circled each other. She did not like him wielding one of her sabers, especially the orange one. She twirled his saber. The movement served no real purpose; she simply liked the drama of it. Her entire body was aching, her back especially, but it was shoved to the adrenaline-drenched recesses of her mind. She and Maul sized each other up, looking for weakness. They struck at the same time.

Shan stabbed out at Maul's stomach. He sidestepped it and swung both sabers at Shan's left side. She blocked it, flipped his saber around her back and shoved it upwards at his throat. Maul caught it between her and Obi-Wan's sabers.

The Zabrak spun to the side as a flash of grey sliced at him. Kenobi was there, her saber in hand. He looked good with silver. Skywalker appeared behind him. The four distanced themselves and created a lopsided square, the Jedi, Jedi, former Sith, and Gray making up the corners. Maul growled at them.

All the Force users stumbled back as the exhaust from an ascending ship hit them like a wall. Sahrea raised her arms to block the dust filled wind from buffeting her eyes and face. Maul Force pulled his saber out of the Gray's hands. He jumped high into the air and landed on the open loading ramp of the small cargo shuttle. As it rotated around, Shan saw that the Falleen from earlier was piloting the ship. Shan would bet her holocron was on board too.

The ship shot off, sending Sahrea back to the ground. She landed sitting up, a needle shooting up to her neck. She looked over her shoulder. Anakin and Obi-Wan had been thrown off balance, but remained on their feet. As they righted themselves, Skywalker's gaze fell on a nearby Corellian All-Terrain Speeder X.

"I'm on it!" Skywalker yelled, pushing himself into a sprint. Kenobi groaned as he steadied himself on a crate. "Anakin, wait!" he shouted, reaching out to his friend. The words came too late. Skywalker had already commandeered the speeder. He ignited the engine and sped off.

\---

"Cody, we need a transport!" Kenobi yelled into his comm link. His commander gave an affirmation on the other end. Obi-Wan turned to Sahrea. He took her hands gently as he helped the Gray to her feet. They stood there for a moment, an arm's length apart, holding eye contact, his fingers holding her dainty ones. He ran his thumb over them. He wanted to say something, everything, nothing. In the end, he gave in. He pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her in a hug, her body small against his. It fit nicely though. They stayed like that for a moment. They pulled apart, but only slightly. Kenobi took his hands and placed them on her face. A bruise had blossomed on the left side, from her eyebrow to her jaw. Her eyes were puffy from lack of sleep. Her right cheekbone was smudged with lines rusty blood from her nose. He never wanted to kiss her more. Although the urge was there, both strong and fierce, he did not act.

"I knew you'd come." Shan said, her arms around his chest. He could feel her hands clasped together against his back. There was a look in her eyes, something that wasn't there before. Or maybe it was, and Kenobi never noticed. In his mind, he knew that he should step back. He needed to stop. He thought about what Master Yoda or Windu would say. How Luminara or Plo would react if they saw him right now, only a breath away from her face. They would be disappointed, they would tell him to watch his attachments, they would tell him he was going against the Jedi Code.

He didn't move away.

He reached up and caressed her hair. She leaned her head into his touch. "How are you feeling?" he asked, tracing his fingers down the side of her face to her jaw. Shan's expression didn't change. "Well, I broke four vertebrae in my back and my head is pounding, but I'm not going to fall apart, so I'm ok." she admitted with a shrug. Kenobi pushed the limits even further. He dropped his forehead to hers, their noses brushing, sharing nothing but a breath. Under different circumstances, he would not have been so careless, but he was so relieved she was here with him, and ok. Just like the cantina, he let himself have this one moment. It was foolish. It was weak. It was unforgettable. He didn't want it to end. The two pulled apart as an LAAT appeared in the sky above them. Shan slid her hand down his forearm, giving his fingers one final squeeze before letting it rest against her hip. He felt the ghost of her touch through his armor. His eyes caught sight of deep purple and silver.

"I believe these belong to you." he said, pulling her sabers to his hand through the Force. He handed them over. Shan smiled. "Thank you Obi-Wan." she replied warmly. "Although, I am very curious about that orange saber of yours." he stated. Sahrea flipped in the air, catching it easily. "It belonged to Karish Shan, my last Jedi ancestor. I found it one day in my father's things and he let me keep it." she explained. "It was pretty beat up, didn't work overly well, so I had to update and repair it quite a bit." Kenobi liked the way she looked when talking about her family, the upturned corners of her mouth, the raising of her cheekbones, the soft look in her eyes. Her loose locks of hair swayed in the breeze of the landing gunship. The door opened to reveal Cody and Rex, along with a handful of troopers. They hopped on board before taking off.

\---

"Nice to see you consult." Cody said pleasantly. Rex stared her down, just like he did the first time they had met. "I'm glad to see you're alright." he said finally. A peace offering. She smiled. "Thank you, captain." she replied as the door shut behind her. "If you don't mind, what do your tallies represent?" she asked. There were small tick marks all over his blue painted armor, on his helmet, on his arms. "They're all the major battles the 501st have won." he said. She nodded. That was very... Mandalorian of him. She knew Jango Fett was from Concord Dawn, although the pacifist, New Mandalorians pretended otherwise, especially after the reveal of the Clone Army. He was a Mandalorian through and through and definitely passed it to his clones. They were what Mandalore once was and what it should be. She would know. Her mother was Mandalorian, raised on Dantooine away from pacifists and terrorists. They still followed warriorism and honor, loyalty and courage. They believed in family. These clone troopers were more Mandalorian than New Mandalore or Deathwatch ever would be.

"Anakin, are you still following Maul?" Kenobi asked his wrist. "Yes master, sending the coordinates now." Skywalker's voice came through. A few moments later, the ship made a hard left. It lifted up a few degrees before lowering again. The door slid open.

"Stay here Sahrea." Kenobi shouted. The breeze whipped at their faces, blowing his hair all over the place. Her own must have looked like a jitro's nest. She clenched her jaw.

"No, I'm coming with you!" she yelled back. "Maul stole a holocron from the temple, I need to get it back!" Kenobi's face showed concern. "I'll retrieve it for you! You have been through enough already!" he replied over the wind. He turned and stepped out of the ship. Shan dashed to the edge, gripping onto the sides as she looked below. Obi-Wan had landed in a speeder, the one piloted by Skywalker. Well she wasn't going to let them have all the fun. Besides, this was her holocron, her order, her mission. So, she jumped.

In retrospect, she probably should have prepared herself better. She ended up in the back seat. the landing shooting white hot pain up her spine. It would pass. Kenobi spun around, alarmed. He made a face as he realized she was no threat.

"I told you to stay!" he shouted as Anakin pulled away from the gunship. She gave him a defiant look as she scooched in between the two seats. "You did." she replied tensely, still reeling from the burning in her back. She rested her elbows on both seats. "This is my mission, Obi-Wan. Maul threatened my order, he stole from my temple, he took me hostage. I'm not going to let you two risk your lives for me. I'd rather you risk your lives with me." she explained. He rolled his eyes. "You are almost as bad as Anakin." she feigned offense. "That is a pretty high standard." Skywalker harrumphed through his nose.

"I"m still here, you know." he said as he maneuvered around a steam vent flowing with toxic vapor. Maul's ship was dead ahead. Skywalker pushed the engine to its limits and sped up. He slowed, getting them right next to the ship. The driver must have seen them, because he directed the ship to the left, cutting straight in front of them. Shan sucked in a breath as Skywalker hit the brakes roughly. He made a hard left to follow, Sahrea sliding behind his seat as he did.

"Anakin, do slow down!" Kenobi said, holding onto the side of the speeder. "Ok master, if you want to lose them!" he shouted back, skirting dangerously close to a tall rock formation. Obi-Wan gave a sigh out his nose as the All-Terrain started heading straight again. "I'm not sure if you're the worst or best pilot I've ever seen." the Jedi Master said. Skywalker pulled up next to the ship again before standing up. Sahrea donned a worried face.

"Umm, Obi-Wan?" she asked cautiously. Skywalker squatted before leaping high into the air, leaving them pilotless. Shan panicked and jumped into the driver's seat as the speeder began to veer to the right, directly towards dusty face of a large hill. "Does he always do that?" she asked, straightening them out. She looked at the Jedi. Kenobi looked a little green from Anakin's... unique flying style. He shook his head up and down. "You get used to it." he said. She huffed. "Yea, I am not nearly as bad as him."

As for Anakin Skywalker, he had cut a hole in the top of the ship and disappeared down into it. Nothing happened for a little while before the docking ramp dropped. Shan pulled the speeder directly behind the ship and forced it to its limits. The Corellian All-Terrain groaned stubbornly, but did as she asked. They drove up the ramp and into the hanger of Maul's ship. Skywalker was there, along with about seven dead Black Sun lackeys. He closed the ramp behind them.

"How about a little warning next time, Anakin?" Shan said with a playful irritation. He shot her a handsome smile. "Gotta keep up Fire Fang." he replied. She smirked at his challenge.

The three ignited their sabers and made their way deeper into the ship. They ran into no other Black Sun members. Shan's suspicions were up.

They entered into the darkened cargo hold. Skywalker felt around for the lightswitch. He found it and the lights flickered on. The room before them was a maze of crates. The three, well, more like two and a half with Shan's injuries, should be able to handle him, but Sahrea knew not to underestimate anything, especially Maul. They moved in deeper.

"Where's Artoo by the way?" Shan asked in reference to his white and blue R2 unit. She knew that wherever Anakin Skywalker was, R2-D2 wasn't far behind. Those two were more attached at the hip than he and Obi-Wan were. Skywalker laughed uncomfortably at the memory. "While you guys were on Iveria, there was an, uhh, incident, on Xelfos." he began as they maneuvered through the room. "By incident, he means Artoo almost got eaten by a Keratonic." Kenobi added. "Anyway," Skywalker continued with a pointed look at his master, "Artoo had to get fixed up. I've got the best mechanic on it now." he said as they turned a corner. "Which puts a damper on my mood, cause I really could use him right now." Kenobi stopped moving behind them.

"Ahh!" Shan shouted as she was sent flying into a wall of crates through the Force. She caught herself as the sound of lightsabers swinging filled the area. She spun around. Right where she had been standing was Maul. He must have been perched above them, because there was no where else he could have been hiding. He was dueling both Kenobi and Skywalker so casually, like it was a training exercise, one that he was excelling it. Maul flipped up high over the crates. Skywalker being Skywalker followed him over, while Shan and Kenobi ran around the side.

When they got around, the Jedi and former Sith were already dueling. They were slashing at each other brutally. They broke apart as Kenobi and Shan ran towards them. Maul leapt up and struck Skywalker so viciously that he Jedi Knight was slammed into a nearby heavy, metal machine. He didn't get up.

Sahrea pressed a button and her blades extended to life. Maul twisted his saber so that the bottom half was partially behind him. His face donned a concretated look. The Zabrak reached back and flung his saber at them. It spun, the red blades turning into a whirling disc. Sahrea backflipped over it as Kenobi stepped out of its reach. It stopped in midair and returned to the former Sith's hand. What was it about him that made him such a deadly duelist? He wasn't any stronger or more skilled than, let's say Dooku or Kenobi. He was certainly just as intelligent. What was it?

Shan and Kenobi attacked him at once, blades flying. Maul dodged their slick strikes and responded with a few of his own. Shan, seeing an opening, swung both of her sabers, one at his hip, the other at his neck. Maul blocked them before using the Force on a crate high above. It landed on top of Obi-Wan before Sahrea could open her mouth. He shoved it off of his back before getting slowly to his feet. Skywalker groaned as he began to move. A thought flickered across her mind, one of fear. She had to relax. There were three of them. They would protect each other.

It was in that moment that she realized what made Maul so violent, so savage. Dooku came with cold, calculating precision. Grievous was like his battle droids; He did not have the strategic prowess that a Jedi or Sith would have. He relied on his size and strength. That was how he dueled. It was completely opposite of Dooku. Maul, though both strong and strategic, he had a way of getting in your head, hitting you mentally more than physically. He broke you down on the inside so that you would be weaker on the outside. Even his aura was like that. It put you on edge, sapped your confidence, made you question yourself.

As Skywalker rose from the other side of the room and Kenobi clashed sabers with Maul, Shan's attention was pulled to her right. It was the cockpit. Through a slit of glass, the Gray could see the Fallen piloting the ship. She also caught sight of her holocron. While Maul was distracted, Shan took the opportunity. She beelined for the cockpit door. She pressed the button. Nothing. She tried again. Still no response. So, she slashed the panel in two and Force pulled the door open.

"Hey!" The Falleen said as he looked over his shoulder. He snatched the holocron to his chest. Sahrea leapt to him, trying to get it out of his grip. In their struggle, the Falleen jerked the ship to the right. Shan's fingers caught the strap of the pilot's safety belt. Behind her, she heard the three Force-users all grapple for leverage in the cargo as the ship turned on its side.

Sahrea clung to the belt with one hand and the Falleen's arm with the other as the ship turned more and more. She went airborne, her feet dangling inches away from the wall. Realizing that her weight on his forearm was preventing the pilot from righting the ship, she released her grip. The ship turned horizontal again. Shan fell stomach down on the floor, which her healing back did not appreciate. She pushed herself up to her elbows and raised her head. In front of her laid the Ceros holocron, hiding under the Falleen's seat. Not believing her luck, she grabbed it, her fingers folding around the triangular shape. As it began to expand back into a diamond shape, the Gray shoved herself to her feet and darted out the door. Maul, Kenobi, and Skywalker were nowhere to be seen.

"Obi-Wan!" Shan called into her comm link as she sprinted out of the cargo hold. "Where are you?" There was no response. "Anakin!" Again nothing. She swore as she rounded a corner.

"Sahrea!" It was Skywalker. "What's going on?" There was the whirr of a saber in the background. "We chased Maul to the landing dock." he said breathlessly. "He's trying to escape on the speeder!" A plan immediately popped into her head. She did a one-eighty and returned to the cockpit.

"Up." she said, pointing her saber at the Falleen pilot. He obeyed. Threatening with one hand and piloting with the other, she took over the controls. The holocron was strapped to her belt. She had just begun her piloting classes, so she was by no means an expert flier, but she could keep them from running into anything at least. Now her plan.

She ignited her silver blade and left the two dangling at the Falleen's throat like a pair of laser scissors as she looked around for the landing pad controls. Hyperdrive? No. Auto-Pilot? Nope. Button that she didn't know purpose of? Avoid. As she examined the various buttons, levers, and switches, the male tried to make a move. He slowly began moving his hand towards a flashing yellow button. Shan twitched her blades closer together. The Falleen smartly snatched his hand back. She found the landing dock control panel. She flicked up a switch, locking the ramp.

"Sahrea, what's going on?" Skywalker voice came from her wrist. "I have taken the cockpit. I locked the landing ramp. Maul won't be going anywhere." she said, proud of herself. "Well that was a good plan, but futile." Kenobi said, joining in their conversation. "What? You mean he escaped? How?" Shan asked, incredulous. "It's called a lightsaber. Maul cut off the ramp door." Skywalker said, clearly irritated. Sahrea leaned back in the seat. At the very least she got her holocron back.


	12. Investigation on Iveria Pt. 4

"Hey, buddy, you're looking better!" Skywalker exclaimed, dropping a hand onto R2-D2's freshly scrubbed dome. The white and blue astromech beeped happily. His ocular sensor twitched back and forth at the sight of his master. Despite being cleaned and having a shiny coating of wax, the droid was still covered in dents and darkened blast marks. Shan smiled at the two. Maybe she would get a droid one day. Less maintenance than a pet, still affectionate, and functional too.

She had accompanied Anakin to retrieve Artoo from the maintenance bay while Kenobi briefed the council on what had happened on Iveria and Krytenwulf. Maul had gotten away, disappearing to who knows where. The Falleen they had captured was of no help. He knew nothing about Maul's plans. Heck, she wasn't even sure if he could have spelled Maul's name right if asked to. He was definitely a muscle lackey than a brain one. Sahrea was happy to have gotten out of that meeting though, thank you four hours in the medbay. Debriefing sessions took forever because you were bombarded with seven different questions after each sentence. She was also glad to get a moment alone with Skywalker. She had a question for him and could sense he also had one for her.

"He's almost done, General Skywalker." the clone mechanic said. "Just need to repair two plates of his exterior armor." Shan leaned to her left. On a table, she could see two large punctures in the plating from the droid's cylindrical body. Whatever made that had some serious teeth. "Thank you trooper." the general said.

Sahrea followed him out into the hallway. They chatted about trivial things as they walked. It fell quiet as they stepped into a nearby elevator.

"We can sit in one of the garden while we wait. I have a question for you." Shan said as the elevator began to descend. "Good, cause I have two for you too." he replied. She smirked smugly at her own observation skills. "Two questions?" she asked with feign surprise. Skywalker flashed her an attractive smile. "You first." the knight replied as they came to a stop. The door slid open, blinding them both temporarily with sunlight. As Shan blinked, her vision revealed a long stone walkway that disappeared into a descending staircase. The sun was shining high above in the bright cyan sky. There wasn't a cloud to be seen. Shan wasn't overly fond of the Coruscanti Temple. There was too much going on: billions of lifeforms packed into one area, speeders zooming by, gigantic metal buildings blocking out all nature. It made it hard for her to concentrate. She grew up on Iveria, where it was all nature and forest, not industrial. But she had to admit, despite these things, it was certainly beautiful.

"How does Satine Kryze fit into the whole Maul-Kenobi equation?" she asked as they passed between two tall, rounded light posts. Qui-Gon was an obvious piece, but Kenobi never mentioned Satine to her. At all. Not even in passing Skywalker rubbed his jaw. "How much do you know about her?" he asked. Shan looked out to the vibrant green of the gardens as she responded. "She was the Queen of Mandalore and was a prominent member of the New Mandalorians. She was a pacifist who tried to erase Mandalore's warrior history." she replied bluntly. Skywalker eyed her as they descended down the steps. "You sound like you don't approve." he said. Sahrea huffed out her nose. "That's because I don't. My mother grew up as close to an ancient Mandalorian as one could get. A warrior in her own right, even without a saber and the Force." Shan explained as they turned into a garden. A large statue of a Jedi foreign to her stood in the center surrounded by bushes. "I'm not a pacifist. I'm not going to lie down and let someone stomp all over me just to prolong a moment of peace." she said bitterly. Skywalker seemed to agree with her. Her voice must have been louder than she thought, because a Jedi padawan across the way looked up at them. Realizing who he was staring at, he scuttled away into the temple.

"In the end, conflict always comes, no matter how hard you prevent it. Sometimes it comes because you try to prevent it. For example, Deathwatch." she crinkled up her nose at the name. "What's your opinion on them?" Anakin asked as they sat down on a nearby bench. Her expression became sour.

"Deathwatch are cowards." she spat. "They are worse than the New Mandalorians. At least I respect Satine. Disagree with her, but she was honorable. She stuck to her beliefs despite what anyone else said or did. Deathwatch are as un-Mandalorian as you can get. They are terrorists. They sneak attack innocents, children! They lie and murder. There is no honor or glory to be won through terror." Skywalker nodded in agreement. "Now, what does Satine have to do with Obi-Wan?" Shan asked. Her words had a bit of an edge to them due to her frustration with Mandalorian politics giving her clan a bad name. Anakin rubbed his neck.

"Satine and Obi-Wan had met when he was still a padawan. He and Master Qui-Gon were protecting Satine from insurgents. They had became... close." her friend explained. Shan immediately understood his meaning. "And when Deathwatch came, Obi-Wan had returned to Mandalore to help out." "And that rekindled some feelings that Maul exploited." she finished for him. This knowledge sat awkwardly within her. It shouldn't have, but it did. "Yea. He killed Satine to spite Obi-Wan. Right in front of him." Shan throat was tight. That explained a lot, his out of character impulsiveness, the reckless way he dueled against the Zabrak. Maul had taken away two of the few people Kenobi truly cared about. Considering that her order was now down to a handful of members, she could relate. She diverted her thoughts, since the idea of Kenobi and Satine brought up feelings she did not wish to focus on. It would only cause issues and those were something she and Obi-Wan were already in good supply of. They did not need another.

"Your question?" Sahrea asked as she looked up at the statue. She immediately felt extremely dimwitted. The Jedi she thought she hadn't recognized was actually one she knew well. Very well. How had she not seen it? After all, the same blood ran through both their veins.

"What holocron did Maul take?" Skywalker asked as the Gray stood up and stepped over to the statue of Bastila Shan. She was in a warrior's pose. Feet spread apart, left arm stretched out, double bladed crossguard saber behind her. A determined look on her beautiful face. Sahrea had hoped that maybe she would have looked a little like her when she was older, but as far as she could tell, there was no similarities between her and the legendary Jedi. She didn't even inherit her affinity for Battle Meditation. That went to Lano. And the dark sided, brooding Revan was known for? Nyla. The Gray sighed. She looked up again. Here they were, Sahrea Shan and Bastila Shan, as face to face as they ever could possibly be. Rumor has it the council had a few ancient holocrons of Bastila buried somewhere in the temple. Maybe they would let her see them.

"It's not a coincidence." Sahrea said suddenly and cryptically. She turned to Anakin. "We have dozens of holocrons in our possession. We hold the Abominations of the Force, hidden away in place even I don't know how to access. Out of all the holocrons Maul could have stolen, he took the one with the blueprints to the Starforge." she said. Skywalker raised an eyebrow. "Ok, the Starforge I get. That was the massive Sith base above Rakata Prime during the Jedi Civil War. What is this about coincidences now?" he asked quizzically, not following. Shan left her ancestor and returned to Anakin.

"Me. Everything. Something big is coming." she said, trying to find the right words to make him understand. "I am the descendant of Bastila Shan and Revan. I am a Gray, therefore I live in Bindo Village, named for Jolee Bindo, one of their comrades. My mother grew up in Ordonia, named for Mandalore the Ultimate, Canderous Ordo, another one of their comrades." she explained. "They were all instrumental in the destruction of the Starforge." Skywalker mulled this information over. "That is a lot of coincidences." he said finally. Shan continued.

"That was one of the reasons why the Elders did not want me or my siblings falling to the Dark or Light. There were too many coincidences. They knew something big was coming." she explained, her words rushed with anxiety. Anticipation? She didn't know. She just knew that she was jittery with the knowledge that things were going to change.

"What kind of something?" he asked in a way that reminded her very much of Obi-Wan. Shan shrugged, leaning back on the bench and propping her foot up. "I don't know. Between that and the war, anything could happen." she admitted. "Maul did say a new era was coming." Skywalker copied her, leaning against the back. "At least we got the holocron back." he said. She plucked it off her belt. In the bright sunlight, the pale purple glow of the diamond was barely visible. It felt fragile in her hand, like just touching it could make it shatter. It was unwarranted, because she was pretty sure if she dropped it, it wouldn't even chip. Anakin reached out his hand to see it.

"Your second question?" she asked as she passed it to him. Skywalker thought for a moment. She immediately sensed something like anxiety from him.

"How would one become a member of your order?" This took her off guard, so much so she recoiled at the question. "Wai.. Wait what?" she said, wide eyes blinking. She dropped her foot and sat forward immediately. Skywalker looked uncomfortable. She shook herself out of her daze.

"Why do you ask?" she asked cautiously. Sahrea had always noticed something different about Anakin Skywalker. Yes, he did have more dark in him than most Jedi, but there was something else. A burden or a weight. A secret. He hid it well though. She doubted even Obi-Wan knew it was there. She figured it was the Dark Side training in her that alerted her to it. She had been taught how to look for weaknesses, both physical and psychological. What that secret was, however, she didn't have a clue.

"I was just wondering." he replied nonchalantly. A lie. She narrowed her eyes at him. "You aren't telling me the truth, but I will answer your question anyway." she stated. "We are much like the Jedi Order in the sense we prefer to teach from birth. To go from the Dark or the Light to the middle is absurdly difficult. Bodies like stability. They want to be Light or Dark, not teetering in the middle going from light-dark-light-dark. It's contrary to their nature. That's why it's so hard to walk the center, why each Gray has a leaning." she explained. "So you won't take someone on later?" he asked, turning the diamond over in his hands.

"Not necessarily." she said, watching the light off the holocron wink, snuff out. Wink, snuff out. "My mother was a full adult when she joined the order and she had no prior Force training. Just the will. It truly depends on the person." she explained. "Some people can handle it, some can't." Skywalker squeezed the holocron. He was mulling something over. He probably figured out than Shan realized why he was asking.

"What about me?" Sahrea stared him down, trying to decode his reasoning. His eyes were sharp. Brows pulled slightly together. Jaw and mouth tense. "You would want to abandon the Jedi Order?" she questioned. Anakin looked conflicted. "Yes, no, I don't know!" he admitted. She cocked her head at him. "Why?" This she genuinely curious about. Anakin Skywalker, the Chosen One, Jedi Knight, Republic General, poster boy of the Council wanted to leave the Order? Skywalker shifted again. This was clearly something he had thought a lot about before asking her. He was silent for a long while.

"It's... a lot of things." he finally said. His shoulders slumped. "You can tell me. We both know I'm good at keeping secrets. Just ask the council." she said with a smirk. Skywalker didn't respond. Clearly his intentions were something he didn't want known and in her experience, that usually made them less than noble. She thought back on his original question.

"No." she said. Anakin gave her a shocked face. "Not right now." She sensed confusion and anger come from the Jedi. He buried it well though. Where most people were a slow build up and release, Skywalker was like a volcano. He was going to hold that rage in until her blew. Again, in her experience, not a good coping mechanism.

"What do you mean, not right now?" he asked, trying to keep the negative tone out of his voice. Shan leaned her elbow on her knee.

"You're not ready." she replied simply, flicking her wrist up as she spoke. "I sense the struggle in you Anakin. You cling to the Light yet have a Dark streak in you that you have not learned to control." Skywalker made a sour face at her. She ignored it and continued. "We are taught from a young age how properly have an attachment, how to not let them influence your decisions and how to let them go. Being a Gray isn't a best of both worlds kind of deal. In many ways, it is much much harder." Sahrea balled up the material of her cloak sleeve. "I wish I were a Jedi sometimes. Having no attachments means no pain, no betrayal, no abandonment. No grief." her dead family flashed before her eyes. She altered the direction of the conversation before continuing. "I sense you are doing this for more or less selfish reasons. If you were to give into the Dark Side right now even a smidge, you will fall fully unless you learn to control that Dark streak." she said. Skywalker gave her an irritated look.

"Then teach me." he replied bluntly. She looked at him wistfully before sighing. "You are too impulsive. Obi-Wan, Yoda, and the rest of the Jedi will teach you much better than I would. You need more time at the Jedi Temple." she said. "Look, if you decide in a year that you still want to pursue this, we will talk. I'll assess, see how things are. If you can prove to me that you can handle this, meaning, letting go of your attachments, learning to deal with your anger, and being less reckless, there's a good chance we can seriously consider it. We will definitely not say no to a new member." she said. "I just don't want you making any rash decisions, Anakin. I want you to come to us for the right reasons, not selfish ones and be sure this is what you want." she finished gently. She put a hand on his shoulder. He yanked it away from her touch. He got up and went to go get his droid back. "If anyone asks, I forget what we talked about." she told his retreating back. Even from this distance, she could feel the negative aura radiating from that man. She bit her lip.

Something was happening indeed.

\---

Maul waited. And he waited. And he waited some more. He tapped his fingers against his bicep. He bit his cheek. He wanted to stab something.

But he waited still. And then he came. Maul steeled himself, preparing for the meeting. His two hearts were pumping sporadically.

Darth Sidious gave a malevolent laugh as he stepped out of the shadows. The sight set Maul's stomach ablaze with hatred and rage, while the rest of him was drenched in icy fear. He kept his exterior cool as his former master strolled up to him in deep red robes. His hood was up, half of his face covered in darkness. The Zabrak knelt down instinctively.

"Hello my former apprentice. Did you retrieve the holocron?" he asked serenely, like he couldn't kill him with a twitch of his finger. Maul looked up. "I did my master, but the Gray took it back." Sidious made a sour face. "I'm am quite unhappy to hear that." he said, stepping forward. His fingers began to crackle with purple sparks. Maul reached into his pocket.

"But it was not a failure!" he said quickly, hoping to stop Sidious from electrocuting him or worse. He pulled out a small device. "I had the holocron's contents copied." The Sith Lord stopped. He snatched the holoprojector from the Zabrak.

In front of his face grew the schematics for the famed Starforge. Maul stood up, eyes skimming all over the intricacies of the ancient battle station. Sidious smiled deviously.

"I'm glad sparing you has been fruitful, Maul." he said Maul with an edge, like his name was meant to be an insult. "You see, by today's standards, this battle station isn't much of a marvel. Most of this could be replicated with modern technology. There is one thing that does make the Starforge useful to me." the Sith Lord began to zoom in on the blueprints. "Those who were there say the entire station was drenched in the Dark Side of the Force. I figured since the blueprints weren't in the Rakatan Temple and Revan had given Bindo the Abominations, it made sense that he may have given him the Starforge schematics as well. But why, my former apprentice, would Revan have gone through so vigorous lengths to hide such a thing? Why not give it to the Republic? Certainly it would be in good hands." he asked rhetorically. "To prevent it from being replicated." Maul replied. His eyes grew wide as the power sector of the Starforge grew large. "Because it was powered by kyber crystal." the Zabrak said, finishing his own statement. Sidious turned the hologram off, the blueprints getting sucked into the darkness. "Indeed." the Sith Lord said with a dangerously sadistic smile. Maul understood.

"You are going to build a battle station." he said, not believing what he was hearing. Sidious laughed again. It was a horrid sound. "Yes I am, one that'll rival the Starforge in size, power, and fear." he said. He turned his eyes on Maul. They were depthless, like a pit. They glittered hungrily.

"Now, we start the final phase of my plan." he explained, tucking his hand with the holoprojector into the sleeve of his robe. "You will return to Mandalore. Draw the Republic's focus there." he commanded. He turned to return to the darkness, like the vermin he was. "And you my lord?" Sidious turned to look at him over his shoulder. That expression chilled even Maul to the bone. The Chancellor grinned wickedly.

"I'm going to plan a kidnapping."


	13. The Interlude Pt. 1

Zap. Crash. Explosion.

Space. Lasers. Ships.

Droids. Clones. Jedi.

Generals. Counts. Chancellors.

That pretty much summed up Sahrea Shan's day. She was supposed to go to Anankin Skywalker to assist with the Siege of Mandalore, but then Separatists appeared above Coruscant, the Chancellor was abducted, and a full scale battle broke out above the capital.

So that's where she was now. Shan was assigned to guard Ro-Ti-Mundi, one of the capital ships, while Skywalker and Kenobi went to rescue Chancellor Palpatine on the Invisible Hand.

She stood one the bridge, watching the chaos unfold before her. She had been in space battles before, but never one like this. There were so many ships in such a tiny portions of space. How were the clones and droids not flying into each other? How were the CIS and Republic dreadnoughts not colliding by now? Sahrea didn't know. She wasn't much of a pilot, which is why she was on guard duty rather than out there, shooting down Vulture Droids.

Her eyes couldn't even take it all in. It was a flash of white, a flash of grey, bright red blaster bolts, bright green blaster bolts. There was a pattering in background as a Separatist ship peppered their hull with blaster fire. Shan gripped her forearms, caught up in her own thoughts.

She hated sitting here not doing anything, especially while Kenobi and Skywalker were heading for Dooku. She tapped her fingers on her skin. Obi-Wan was giving her anxiety. She knew he was a strong, capable Jedi, but she wasn't foolish enough to believe he couldn't die. Many strong, capable Jedi had already been killed in this war and her Jedi was headed straight into a Separatist nest. He survived this long, he would be fine, and besides, Anakin was with him. She let a breath loose through her nose.

Shan was taken off guard as the ship rocked beneath her. She and the clone troopers all stumbled about, trying not to fall. Lights flashed, things began to beep. A model of the cruiser had a big blinking red circle on it. Sahrea didn't know what that meant, but she assumed it wasn't a good thing. She looked up to Captain Null.

"What happened?" she called over the wailing. It stopped as suddenly as it began. The clone captain began to tap on the console. He was in the gold painted armor of Ghost Company. His hair was dyed orange and was completely shaved except for the top. The hair there was long, almost to his eye, and combed over to one side. His worried face relaxed.

"Ok, it's not too bad. We got hit with a proton torpedo. It damaged some of our outer hull and the comm relay." he explained. "It can't be too severe, I can still hear the pilots." she said, tuning her ears into the feed. Oddball was assisting some of the other pilots with an issue that was drowned out in panicked voices. Kenobi was currently dealing with buzz droids on his ship. Skywalker was attempting to help with said buzz droids, but from the sounds of the dialogue, she wasn't sure if he was making it better or worse.

"Yes, but the issue is, we can't transmit out." Shan's eyebrows pulled together. Ok, that wasn't the worst possible thing that could have happened, but it would certainly be a problem if they were to be boarded. Shan thought too soon. As her brain finished the word boarded, five Sepy ships were launched in their direction. She forgot the name of them in that moment (there were a lot of ships to remember), but they looked like the Trident Class Assault ship, with the pointy end that pierced into hulls and opened to drop battle droids into ships, but it didn't have the long tentacle things the Tridents had.

The crafts zoomed past the bridge and disappeared from their view. A moment later, a rumbling came through the cruiser. She and Null shared a look.

"Prepare for battle!" the captain yelled into cruiser-wide comm. "Where did they breach?" Shan asked as he tugged on his helmet. The fin on the top of his helmet was white with yellow stripes streaking down the right side of his helmet. The area where his cheeks would be were both outlined in gold, making a lopsided triangle on each side.

"Starboard side near the armory." Null replied as they exited the bridge. The captain tapped on his wrist, transferring the schematics of the hallways to her. A number of clones filed in behind them as they headed for the droids.

"What's the plan sir?" a clone asked behind her. Sahrea groaned inwardly. Since Oddball, who was the commander, was out covering Kenobi, she was fully in charge, with Null as her second. She formulated an attack strategy as they rounded a corner.

"Send a squad of your best men to defend the armory. We can't let the droids get to it. Null, you and I will head to the closest breach and say hello to our unwanted guests." Sahrea commanded. "Iron! You know what to do." the captain said. "Sir, yes, sir!" Iron replied. Shan heard a number of feet dart down the nearest hallway.

Shan saw blaster fire zoom past her at the next intersection. She ignited her sabers. She made a right and almost ran directly into the metal body of a Super Battle Droid. He looked down at her confusedly. The droid was almost a foot taller than her.

"What the-" his monotone voice said. She ran him through before he had a chance to react. As the droid dropped, she deflected blaster fire back at the two dozen B1s and Supers in the passageway. It had become muscle memory. She understood why all the Jedi she met were so skilled. Dueling was great, but doing this everyday for three years really bonded you and your lightsaber. The war was starting to take its toll on her, and she had only been in this fight for a few months. She couldn't even imagine what Obi-Wan and the rest of the Republic Army were feeling.

Shan hopped forward, pushing off the wall as she did. She landed in the mess of droids, right in a break between two Supers and three B1s. The B1s, along with a number of other droids, were behind her; the clones could deal with them. Sahrea cut and slashed endlessly. She slit the final B1 from shoulder to hip as the clones finished two behind her.

Shan's head whipped back, sending a burning pain to her neck and spots to her eyes. She righted it quickly. She couldn't see out of her right eye. The Gray stumbled back. The Super Battle Droid that had punched her emerged from around the corner. Null and the others blasted him into nothing.

"Are you alright consult?" Null asked. She shook her head and blinked. "Yea, I'm as fine as I can be, considering I just got punched in the face by a metal fist. Thanks for the assist, captain." she replied. She hoped it didn't sound coarse. "Of course." he replied.

Shan realized she thankfully hadn't lost vision in her eye, rather it was just covered in blood. She had gotten lucky. The droid had hit her forehead. Any lower would have been her eye and any more to the side would have been her temple. She wiped her eye, leaving a red streak on her freshly cleaned robes. At least she could see now.

"The next breach is close." Null said as he led the way to it. Sahrea looked over her shoulder. They had only lost three men. Although it could have been worse and their loss weighed heavily on her, it was detrimental. Null stopped at the end of the passage and pressed the button for the elevator.

The elevator ride was horrible. The entire two minute ride up, all she could think about was how slow they were moving. How many clones were dying right now, even on her own ship. How Obi-Wan and Anakin were probably on board the Invisible Hand right now. How there was a legion of droids waiting for her when they stopped. She bit her lip.

"Let me go first in case they are outside the door." she said. She couldn't stop her men from dying, but that didn't mean she wasn't going to do all she could to save as many as possible. They stopped. The door slid open. Shan stepped out, sabers ignited. No droids.

"Sir!" a clone yelled on the other end of her comm link. "The droids are near the mess! There are too many of them!" he shouted. The mess hall wasn't too far from their location. "Hang in there trooper! We're coming!" the clone began to respond, but his words turned into a death scream as he was shot. Sahrea swallowed.

"Come on!" she yelled. Their convoy sprinted to to the mess hall. Inside, there were thirty droids, including seven commandos, all shooting at all small band of clones holed up behind a sideways table. Visions of Vardos and Felucia popped into her head. She hated commando droids. Shan tossed her silver saber through the closest commando, using their distraction as a tool while she still had it. The droid collapsed.

"Hey look, a Jedi!" a B1 shouted, pointing in her direction. About half of the droids turned and began to shoot at them.

"Take cover!" Null shouted. Shan followed his lead and leapt behind a flipped table. She and Null leaned their backs against it. A few other clones huddled down next to them.

"Any bright ideas?" she asked. Null popped his head up and let loose a few lasers before ducking back down. "Yea, shoot." he replied. Shan looked up. There were a few light fixtures overhead with a decorative band that could be used as a foothold. They were large enough to hold a clone.

"How do you feel about heights?" she asked mischievously. She pointed up. He realized her plan. "Let's do it." he said. Shan readjusted herself into a crouching position. She tapped into the Force and tossed the captain up to the safe side of the light. He gave her a thumbs up as he landed easily.

"Anyone else?" she asked. Her gaze fell on Volt. "Hey Volt, wanna gain some high ground?" she asked as a blaster bolt skimmed right above her head. She instinctively crouched down."Uhh, I'm good consult. Really." he replied. The right side of her mouth curled up. He sighed. "Just don't miss." he said, giving in to the Gray's will. She smirked gestured for him to move closer to her. When he did, she lifted him to the light opposite of Null. He took a moment to compose himself, but then took to firing. Shan poked her head out the side.

A mess of broken battle droids sat in the middle of the room. There were a few trays still lined with food on some of the tables. Dead clones lined the floor. As for the droids, the B1s were still idiotically mulling around in the center, dropping every few seconds. The remaining commandos, however, had holed themselves up in the kitchen. There was no way they'd be able to take them out quickly. They would have to go in. Shan stood up and finished up the final droids.

"Ok boys, we gotta go in." she said. "Do you have any droid poppers?" The commandos' armor was too strong to be affected fully by droid poppers, but it would stun them long enough for Shan to take two or three down.

"Uhh Consult Shan?" Volt said from above. "I got you!" she said up to him. She levitated him down, followed by Null. The captain handed her a popper.

"Turn em into scrap metal." he said dropping the grenade into her hand. She flashed him a smile. Sahrea snuck up to the door. She ignited her persimmon saber before pressing it open. It was dark inside, the black illuminated slightly by the orange of her blade. She armed the droid popper and tossed it into the kitchen. As it detonated a pulse of staticky blue energy, Shan flipped on the light.

She immediately caught sight of three commandos. Their artificial spines were arched back and they shook violently as the electricity overloaded their circuits. Shan beheaded the one hiding behind the door and sent a saber through his chest. She tossed her silver saber end over end towards the one hiding behind a refrigeration unit. She recalled it back and shoved it through the forehead plating of the one under a table. Shan flipped her sabers, holding one in front of her body and one behind. She skimmed the area, searching for the final two commandos. The droid poppers would have worn off by now.

Commando droids were masters of stealth. Sahrea slowly turned, her eyes skimming every crevice. She held up her hand, telling Null and the others to wait. She finished her circle. It was deathly quiet. The ignorant would have thought they were alone. Sahrea's heart was pounding. In that moment, her anticipation felt more deadly than the commando droids hiding in the shadows.

The kitchen was torn apart. Dead cooks lay on her floor. Tables were flipped. Blast marks covered the walls. The floor was torn up. Machines were moved. There were a lot of places for a droid to be lurking. Shan closed her eyes, focusing on her hearing, not her vision. She kept her ears primed for any sounds. She could hear the breathing of clones behind her. The movement of their armor. The click of their weapons. Beyond that was the soft thud thud thud of laser's rippling into their shields. In the far distance, there were blaster shots and clone yells. Then she heard a slight metallic shift from her right, so miniscule she wasn't sure whether it was real. Shan ignited her orange saber, holding it in a back handed grip. She stabbed it straight out. She opened her eyes. The commando droid spasmed before the lights dimmed in its eyes. Shan yanked her saber out.

She gasped as a blaster shot went off. The second commando was poised to strike, its vibroblade only an inch from her body. A puff of smoke came out from its back as it collapsed. She looked up.

"Cody." she said, relieved. "Howdy consult." he replied, shouldering his rifle. The commander had entered through the other door. She smiled at him.

"We heard you had a bit of company and wanted to see what the fuss was about." he said, crossing over to her. "I guess we're even now." he said, referencing their first mission together where she had saved him from a commando droid. "We are indeed." she said. She made a goofy face. "Well if it isn't Ice, my right hand man." she couldn't see his face, but could tell that he was smirking. "Aww Shan, you're gonna make me blush." he joked back. She flashed him a grin. Her mood was spoiled though. She was overcome with an odd sensation. It took her off guard. It was an odd, tingling sensation. It was from the Force, but she couldn't decipher what it meant. It was almost like the Light and the Dark side fluctuated at the same time. She wasn't sure if that meant they negated or elevated each other.

"Are you alright consult?" Cody asked, concerned. "I'm fine. Just got dizzy for a moment." she muttered back. She shook her head as it passed.

With their combined troops, they left the kitchen and went to the next impact zone. Iron had defeated a legion at the armory, leaving only two left. The final two forces were only B1s and Supers, so they dealt with them easily. Something didn't sit right with Shan though.

"There were only five breaches, right?" she asked. Null brought up the schematics again, showing her the five places where the ships penetrated the hull. She rubbed her chin. The motion made her swallow a laugh. That was something she had never done before. She must have picked it up from Obi-Wan.

"Something still doesn't sit right with me. Have the bridge do a sweep of the ship." she said, moving to inspect the nearest shuttle. She hopped up into it.

The entire cabin was bathed in red light. There was a central rack that would drop down to deploy droids. However, one thing caught her attention: there was a seat with a safety belt. A droid wouldn't need a safety belt, but an organic lifeform would. She returned to the corridor.

"Someone else is here." she stated. Null tapped on his wrist, ending a comm call. "An unauthorized presence was just detected in the engine block. You were right consult." the captain said. Shan twirled her sabes. 

"Let's go."


	14. The Interlude Pt. 2

Shan motioned silence as she, Cody, Null, and the rest of the men slunk into the engine room. She had silently taken down the two sentries at the door before they made their way in. Hiding behind a large mechanism that connected to an even larger mechanism, Sahrea poked her head around.

There was a variety of droids mulling around, attaching explosives to the cruiser's core. Four clones, three troopers, and one mechanic, were handcuffed on the ground. Behind them, Tal Rhona. Shan narrowed her eyes. Rhona was one of the Confederacy's top generals. She had only seen him via hologram, above the planet of Canarath.

The general wore a long, dark trench coat that fell around his knees. It had metal chains looping around his waist. A thick grey stripe went from his neck to the bottom of his jacket. A hood covered his head. Rhona turned around.

He was just as creepy the second time. His trench coat buttoned up to his neck. It split into a V at the bottom. He wore shiny black boots that covered his shins. There were pockets lined with silver metal. The emblem of the CIS was printed in red on his shoulder. This was pretty standard. What made him creepy was his face. Well, lack of face.

Tal Rhona was from the planet of Kubindi. The Kubaz were very sensitive to light, so on his face, he wore a dark mask with red markings. The goggles protecting his eyes were bright red. A long, hook like appendage came out of the mouth area to protect Rhona's long snout.

Shan had heard that his appointment had caused some issues with the Geonosians. Geonosians and other insect-like species did not get along with the Kubaz due to their diet, which was primarily bugs, hence the long snout. Rhona, however, was an incredible strategist, so Dooku would be hurting himself if he didn't accept his offer to join the Separatist military. The Count also hoped that Rhona's position could sway the Kubaz and their incredible technology to the CIS. Kubindi was still on the fence and it didn't look like they would make a decision anytime soon.

Rhona had another skill besides being good with strategy. He was a general who liked to be in the field. He had incredible hand-to-hand combat skills. He had stood up against some of the best fighters in the Republic and won, including Master Plo. He was not to be trifled with.

Rhona spat a command in the clicks and whistles of his native language. A few droids saluted their general and walked off towards the final fuel cell. They needed to destroy those droids before they blew the Ro-Ti-Mundi skyhigh. Or space high, in this instance. Shan turned back around and leaned close to Cody and Null.

"We need to play this really carefully." she said. "They are attaching explosives to the fuel cells. If we hit one by accident, bye bye next battle." Cody readjusted his rifle. "I suggest we split up and do a covert take over of each cell." the commander said. "There aren't a lot of droids because the others were just a distraction. This is a strike team. Too many clankers here could draw attention, so a few clones should be able to take them down." he said. "Once we deactivate the explosives, we can go for Rhona." Null added. Shan nodded. "I approve. I'll wait here and keep an eye on the general while you guys take out the extraneous droids and the bombs." she said. The clones all dispersed.

Shan squatted down, watching Rhona. It was nerve wracking. She kept expecting him to pull out a detonator and turn this cruiser into spare parts. He surely wouldn't do that while he was on board, would he? No, the Kubaz was too smart for that. He certainly would have a plan b. The Gray bit her lip as Rhona began to move. He was heading to the two droids in front of a fuel cell, the one she just saw Cody and Null slip behind. She raised up her wrist.

"Cody, Null, Rhona is coming your way. Stay out of sight!" she hissed. Although they didn't respond, they must of heard her, because they disappeared from sight. Sahrea sat and watched tensely as Rhona got closer and closer to her men. Her heart was going to pop out of her chest. She unhooked her silver saber, prepared to attack if necessary. Tal spoke with the droids there, speaking in the whistles and clicks that his species was known for. A metal footstep drew the Gray's attention behind her.

"Hey, you aren't supposed to be here." the B1 said. Shan swore. She used the Force to yank the droid down to the floor. She flipped over top of him and broke the droid's neck, damaging the vital plating underneath. The act sent a shiver down her spine. Although he was just a machine and would be fine with a few repairs, the sheer savageness of the act didn't sit right with her. Sahrea put this aside and peered around the side again. Rhona hadn't noticed them. He was returning to the center one.

Shan watched as Cody and Null take down the two droids at their fuel cell. The commander gave her a nod. They now had control of every cell. She looked back to Rhona to discover he wasn't there. She frantically looked around for the general. The Kubaz returned a moment later, a knife to Ice's throat. He clicked a loud statement. She could piece together what he said from the little knowledge of his language she had. He had said something along the lines of Come out and face me, Gray. She stood up. He gained immediate respect from her despite the situation for referring to her as a Gray. He was one of the first people to not mistake her for a regular Jedi. She stepped into the walkway.

"Let my friend go and we can talk." Shan replied cooly, a lightsaber in each hand. She didn't ignite them quite yet. Ice struggled against the Kubaz's arm, but couldn't get away. The general responded, but Sahrea couldn't quite figure out what he said. So as a response, she took a step forward and crossed her arms, hoping she looked intimidating. The Kubaz cocked his head at her. He twitched his fingers and six commando droids dropped from the ceiling. Man, she hated those things. She knew her troopers were at the ready. Rhona also knew this. He whistled a demand at her.

She thought she heard drop the sabers and I'll let him go. It was that or drop your guard and I will go. Shan had a feeling it was probably the first, since it made more sense in the context of her question. She glared at him defiantly. Rhona pressed a button on his knife. A thin band of light that looked almost like a lightsaber ignited along the curved blade. Shan huffed and placed her hilts on the floor. A commando picked them up and gave them to Rhona, who tucked them in his jacket. Tal stared her down, waiting for her next move. When it didn't come, he plunged his knife into Ice's chest.

"No!" she screamed as the clone went limp. She Force pushed the general into the fuel tank behind him. Her sabers ignited as they flew to her hands, slicing a commando droid in three distinct pieces. Blaster fire rained. Shan sprinted towards Rhona as he stood up. He flicked out a second laser lined knife. They were short and seemed almost useless against her lightsabers, but Shan knew never to underestimate anything. She swung at Tal Rhona.

Rhona blocked her strikes. With shock, she realized his knives could withstand a saber strike. She stumbled back. The Kubaz's emotions were hidden behind his protective mask. She set her jaw. Were his knives Kubanian technology or Separatist? The Kubaz were known for the technological prowess. If the Sepys got their hands on it and weaponized their droids to be impervious to lightsaber strikes... Shan couldn't think about that now.

The Gray and Kubaz slashed and stabbed and struck at each other while the clones and commandos used each other as target practice. He was a skilled warrior, even better than her. She was still alive because of the Force and her sabers. Shan flipped her hilts forward and stabbed at him, Grievous style. Her sabers skimmed his body, her right blade catching the side of his coat. It left a crimson rimmed hole.

Shan kicked Rhona in the ribs as hard as she could. The Separatist stumbled to the side. She punched out at his masked face. He dodged. Tal slid to the side and aimed for her throat. Shan backflipped. He missed his mark, but still managed to catch her leg. It burned exactly like a saber cut. She bit her lip. She picked up a blaster beaten commando with the Force and threw it at him. The large metal body collided with the Kubaz. He collapsed under the droid. Shan jumped up and brought her saber down on the general, but he rolled away at the last minute. Rhona grabbed her hair roughly and pushed her face into the metal grate. He put his knife in her neck and dug the point into the bones. A blaster bolt from Commander Cody had him backing away. Sahrea scrambled to her feet.

She stayed low to the ground as Tal Rhona took up a fighting stance. She was becoming fatigued. If she relaxed, even slightly, he would gain the upper hand. So Sahrea Shan took a deep breath and struck out. Rhona deflected each of her strikes with an easy motion of his arms. He stabbed out straight, aiming for her heart. It must have been her instincts that made her dodge, because his hand was already retracting by the time she realized he had struck.

Shan sliced her silver saber at his knife. As he blocked it, she used her foot to kick it away. The weapon dropped and skid across the grate. In the back of her mind, Shan wondered how the clones were faring against the commando droids. She couldn't worry too much on them though. She had her own problems, and besides, the clones were quite capable of taking care of themselves.

The general punched out at the Gray. She dodged. As she did, Rhona grabbed her wrist and twisted. Her saber hilt was wrenched out of her grip. He forced her to her knees. He shoved his weapon through her wrist, rendering it incapable of movement. Her brain shut down as the tip of the blade slit between the two bones and out her forearm. He clicked at her, a unique, dangerous sound. It was one word. Pray. He put his knife to her throat, burning a line on her skin. He was going to kill her. She wouldn't let him.

She relied on the Trayus Form once again. From the floor, her orange saber ignited. It lifted into the air and impaled Rhona straight through the back and out his chest. The Kubaz released her. Shan fell to the floor as he staggered back, the blade still buzzing in his chest. The blade sucked back into the hilt. Tal Rhona slumped to the floor, dead. Sahrea laid there for a moment, her body in pain. She rolled onto her back stiffly. There was a commando standing right above her, vibroblade out. The Gray sat straight up and scuttled away from him. The droid fell away to reveal Cody. Shan laid back on the floor.

"Consult!" he said, rushing to her side. He put a hand on her shoulder. "I'm alright." Shan said, wincing as she rolled onto her side. Now the adrenaline had worn off, her leg was stinging intensely. The muscles in her back argued at movement. Her entire left arm from the tips of her fingers to her elbow and bicep were an inferno. There was tingling in some of her fingers.

"Ice is still alive sir!" Null said, his hand resting on his brother's chestplate. It was off to the medbay they went.

\---

Shan stepped onto the bridge, flexing her left hand. It was wrapped up in bacta soaked gauze. The tingling was the result of a nicked nerve, which was lucky. If it had pierced the whole nerve, it would have temporarily paralyzed her arm. Her leg was mostly healed. Ice was in the infirmary. He needed surgery on chest, but would survive.

"Consult!" Null said from over the main holotable. "We have an update. Count Dooku is dead."


	15. The Interlude Pt. 3

Shan stopped right in her tracks, her brain not computing what Null just said. She took a step back. "He is... dead?" she asked, dumbfounded. She blinked at the captain. The confusion turned to glee. Her people were avenged. They were safe, for now anyway.

"He was killed by General Skywalker. He, General Kenobi, and the Chancellor are still on the Invisible Hand though." Shan looked out past the ongoing space battle to the large CIS ship hovering in the distance. She cocked her head as the escape pods were ejected. Her heart lightened. That must be Obi-Wan.

"General Grievous just escaped in the pods!" a clone technician shouted, a hand to his headset. Her eyes snapped to him and back to the Invisible Hand. If Grievous is in the escape pods, where were the Jedi? "What's going on with that cruiser?" Shan asked. It was getting dangerously close to Coruscant. Cody tapped on the console before him.

"It's caught in the planet's gravitational pull. There's no way they'll be able to turn it around." he said. A pit formed in her stomach. "Cody, please don't tell me Obi-Wan's on that ship." she asked, more of plead then a question. He looked up at her. "I wish I could consult, I really do. General Skywalker's going to try and land the ship." Shan looked back to the ship. "That's pushing it, even for him." she said, her words airy from anxiety. She recoiled as the Invisible Hand split in two, straight down the middle. She bit her lip and shut her eyes, just for a moment, before opening them once again.

"Well, at least they're still flying half a ship." Cody joked mirthlessly. Shan noted without pleasure that that sounded very much like something Kenobi would say. As the ship got lower and lower into the atmosphere, Sahrea could do nothing but stare. It got worse as another Separatist cruiser blocked her view. She released her lip from her teeth when she began to taste blood. If Obi-Wan wasn't alright... Shan couldn't even finish the thought. It sent her into a panic.

The Separatist ship was still floating there, blocking out her view of Coruscant. She could barely breathe.

"They landed." Null said. They are with the Chancellor." Shan exhaled, her breath still quick, her heart still galloping. Obi-Wan Kenobi was going to be the death of her.

\---

Shan crossed her arms tightly against her body as she listened to Kenobi give a run down of the events that happened on the Invisible Hand to the council. They were missing Mace Windu and Anakin Skywalker. She stood in the shadows behind Master Yoda. There was a lightness about him now that Dooku was dead. A weight was gone. A joyful light returned to his eyes. Stress lifted from his handsome face. His shoulders sat looser, his body more relaxed. His smile was intoxicating. It was the same grin he always had, but it was now happier and brighter, like it didn't require as much effort. She liked watching this Obi-Wan. He caught her eye as the council dismissed. Shan said pleasantries to Masters Yoda, Shaak Ti, and Kit Fisto before exiting the council chambers.

Sahrea scanned the area, looking for her Jedi. There he stood waiting for her, illuminated by a nearby window. Shan had the urge to throw her arms around him, but not only was it an inappropriate time, she needed to stop with these thoughts. So she buried them deep down and stepped to his side.

"Obi-Wan. I'm so glad you're ok." she said breathlessly. Kenobi gave her a soft gaze that caused warmth to bundle up her heart. "That was a crazy landing even for Anakin." she said. The Jedi master was quiet for a moment longer, studying her face. His gaze was admiring, not unnerving. Shan swallowed.

"It was a lovely landing. You know, explosions and fire. The usual." he said smugly. Shan chuckled. "So it was your average Skywalker landing, just larger?" she replied as they began to walk. "Pretty much."

"I heard you took down Tal Rhona on your own?" he said. A white hot pain shot up her arm at that moment, almost as if replying for her.

"Yea. It wasn't easy." she admitted. Obi-Wan gave her a knowing glance. "Well of course. Rhona is the most skilled combat fighter the Separatists have besides Grievous and Dooku." he said. Shan bit her lip at the Count's name. "Dooku is really dead?" she asked hopefully. It was hard for her to truly accept that the Sith Lord was gone. Kenobi gave her a smile. "Yes. Anakin made sure of it." he said as they descended down the stairs that appeared in front of him.

"I have something to show you." Kenobi said, twitching his fingers for her to follow. Curious, Sahrea did. She followed him to the library where they strode up to Madame Jocasta. She was sitting behind a desk. It was bare except for a small green plant in a clay pot. It was a long, thin stemmed little thing with wide leaves. The elderly Jedi dipped her head as they approached.

"Hello Master Kenobi, Elder Shan. I presume you're here for the holocrons you requested?" she asked, reaching for a door behind her shoulder. Shan lifted an eyebrow at him. "Yes we are." he said, lifting one back in challenge. She rolled her eyes. Jocasta shut the safe, gently placing two holocrons on the desk, the cubes glowing a faint blue. "Thank you madame." Obi-Wan said as he took them. She gave them a warm smile. "Of course Obi-Wan. I hope they are of use to you! It took me a long while to dig those up." she said. Sahrea followed Kenobi wordlessly to a wooden table that was buffed to a mirror-like shine. He placed the holocrons on the table.

"So are you going to tell me what you made poor Madame Jocasta dig through centuries of holocrons for or are you going to stay cryptic?" she asked with a smirk. Kenobi waved his hand over the holocron in response. The corners separated and spun, turning the cube into an ornate version of itself. A moment later, a hologram flickered to life. It displayed Bastila Shan. Sahrea's face turned to one of surprise.

"I remembered you saying you wanted to see one of her holocrons. These are the only two that survived." he said. Shan had told Obi-Wan about her fascination with Bastila and Revan as a child. She studied all she could on them. There was only one holocron in the Gray Temple that Bastila had made. None of Revan. It displayed her later in life, long after the Jedi Civil War. Long after the disappearance of Revan.

This Bastila though was young, probably still a padawan. Her hair was dark and short, falling around her chin. Her saber was a double bladed crossguard. It looked like a regular double ended saber, but had four angled exhaust ports out the end, making the blades look like two arrows that pointed into the hilt. Sahrea watched, mesmerized as Bastila began to speak:

"...heard the rumor that Master Vash on Korriban. Meetra is apparently head..." Shan watched as her ancestor spoke. As the recording ended, Sahrea looked up to Kenobi. She gripped her left wrist. "Thank you." she said softly. He merely nodded in response.

\---

"I like the new look." Kenobi said with a smirk. Shan gave him a sour face. She had just returned from Kashyyyk. She had been sent there to assist Master Yoda and the Wookiees. It had also been during the largest rainstorm of the season. Her white robes were dyed completely brown. She hadn mud in her boots, in her hair, all over her face. Even in sabers. It would take hours to clean them thoroughly.

"You really think so?" she asked. "Oh absolutely. You should stop by Padme Amidala's. She's always up on Coruscant fashion. Maybe you two can start a new trend." he said. Shan took her mud covered hand and wiped it on his face and armor in response.

"Look at that, you're the first one to pick up on it!" she said cheerily. "Thanks for that." he said with a chuckle. She gave him a mischievous smirk as she headed off towards her quarters. After a long shower and a fresh pair of robes, she found herself in the mess hall.

"So what's up with Anakin lately?" she asked as put a spoonful of pudding her mouth. She and Kenobi were having lunch together, like they usually did when they were at the Jedi Temple together. Anakin was supposed to join them, but was summoned by the Chancellor. He was to accompany Palpatine to a senate meeting, which struck Shan as odd. He also hadn't been acting himself.

"What do you mean?" Obi-Wan asked, his face now free of mud. She narrowed her eyes at him. He knew exactly what she meant. He just wanted to her to speak first. She clamped her teeth down on the handle of the spoon before speaking.

"I don't know. Something seems off. He doesn't joke as much anymore. He doesn't seem overly happy. In fact, it seems quite the opposite. He's moodier than usual." she explained. Obi-Wan sighed, resting his fork on his plate of salad. His brows drew together.

"I too have noticed Anakin's behavior. I have asked him about it, but he hasn't given me an answer." he sighed. "That, plus no sign of Grievous, Ahsoka's return, and the absence of Master Yoda... a lot is going on." Shan's heart broke. Obi-Wan looked so downtrodden, so stressed. He looked beaten down. She had never seen him like this. Maybe he always was and hid it. Sahrea rested a hand on his wrist. He looked up at her, his blue and her grey.

"Everything will work out Obi-Wan. Have faith." she said encouragingly. She added a smile for good measure. She pulled her hand away. "I would like to meet Ahsoka Tano one of these days. You have told me a lot about her." Shan said. Kenobi spoke very highly of the former Jedi. She was exactly the kind of person the Gray Order needed. Maybe she would consider a meeting with Lano.

"Well she is supposed to be stopping by the temple coming up for a debrief on the Mandalorian siege. I'll introduce you two then. You both would get along quite well." he said, stabbing a few leafy greens with his fork. "Wait, Tano is here? Wouldn't it be better if she stayed on Mandalore?" Sahrea asked. Kenobi swallowed before answering. "We've been having a concerning amount of transmissions intercepted recently. We aren't leaving anything to chance, not right now." he said. He was right. This was a pivotal time. No Dooku, Grievous on the run. Things were changing, in whose favor, Shan didn't know. They looked down as both of their wrists began to blink.

"We are being summoned." she said. "So we are." The two stood up, emptied their trays, and made their way to the council chambers. Inside, Master Windu sat waiting for them, along with Shaak Ti and a holographic Ki-Adi Mundi and Yoda. There was an air about the room, a lightness. 

"We have good news." Windu said, his fingertips pressed against each other. "Skywalker has just informed us that Grievous has apparently been seen in the Utapau System." Shan had a moment of elation, but suppressed it. She had to remind herself this was only a rumor. This could be just another dead end. She took a deep breath through her nose. Her mood dropped once more as a realization hit.

"Wait." she said. "Anakin told you? That means the Chancellor found out before you did?" That didn't seem right." Mace eyed her before leaning back in his chair.

"The council will wait until Skywalker and a few more members arrive to decide what to do with this information." he continued, ignoring her statement. "Now, Consult Shan, you will not be returning to Kashyyyk." This information surprised her. "I'm not?" she looked to Master Yoda.

"Have another assignment for you, we do." he said. "Stay here longer, Shaak Ti will. With Grievous missing, dangerous to leave Kamino unprotected, it is. Go there, you shall, until she returns." the elderly Jedi explained. Shan's eyes grew wide. "Wait, you mean, on my own?" she asked, incredulous. Windu nodded. "Yes. You have passed all of your tests and have gained our trust. We now raise our restrictions on you." he explained. Sahrea smiled, trying to suppress her giddiness. She could sense Kenobi was pleased as well. "Thank you. I will not let you down." she said.

"We know you won't, Sahrea." Shaak Ti said serenely. "You will leave sometime after we decide what to do about Grievous. That will be all."


	16. The Interlude Pt. 4

Sahrea Shan sat in her quarters, scrubbing away at her saber hilts. She still had mud in them from her time on Kashyyyk. Shan was cross legged on the floor, a towel over her work space along with a bucket of soapy water and fine pointed tool for the hard to reach places. She had taken the entire thing apart and there was still dirt packed into the silver hilt. Her eyes were sore from staring too close. Her fingers were cramping up, but she kept on. Her focus was interrupted by a knock on her door.

"Come in." she yelled. Sahrea was still focused on her hilt as her guest entered into her bare quarters. It only contained a bunk, a desk topped with two holocrons, and a closet filled with what few possessions she had. Her guest stood awkwardly in the doorframe, unsure of what to do.

"Sit." Shan said, ushering with her hilt. Anakin Skywalker maneuvered around the workspace and squatted down opposite her. He didn't say anything for a minute. He just watched as she picked grains of dirt out from the crevices of her ancestor's orange bladed saber. The knight was extremely troubled about something. She could sense his anxiety so strongly it even affected her. Her entire body went on edge the second he entered the room. She sighed and dropped the lightsaber into her lap.

"What's bothering you Anakin?" she asked. "You're as jumpy as Herrarian Swamp Beetle." she said with a smirk. Not even a twitch of a smile. He looked up at her, all emotion drained from his face. Lately, he'd been a shell of his usual self. He'd been more serious, less inclined to joke, always stressed. Her friend sighed. He was hesitating, which was very unlike him.

"Have you ever heard of a Force technique that could save another person from dying?" Skywalker asked tentatively. She gave him a concerned look. "What do you mean?" she questioned very carefully. She didn't know why, but something inside her told her to approach this with extreme caution. He tapped his knee. "I was reading in the library and found a reference to this. I was curious." he answered offhandedly. It was a lie. Shan responded like she didn't realize it was untrue.

"Well, it sounds like an Abomination of the Force to me. They have similar techniques." she explained. "Is that how Darth Plagueis the Wise knew about it?" he asked, curious. Now this really took her off guard. Her face expressed her surprise before his words even fully processed in her brain. Only Obi-Wan, Windu, and Yoda knew this information.

"Who told you that?" she questioned. He looked down at his boots. "I told you. I read it." she knew for a fact there were no references to Plagueis in the library archives. But why would he lie? She narrowed her eyes at him. He wasn't look at her. He was fiddling with the toe of his boot. "So is it possible or not?" he asked, his voice holding an edge. He looked up at her. She stared into his eyes, trying to discern what his trouble was, why he was lying, what he was hiding. All she got as an answer was his eyes staring back. She went back to cleaning out her sabers.

"Well, I suppose so. There are a lot of similar practices, some we don't even know." she explained, scratching out some grains of Kashyyykian dirt. "What kind of practices?" Blast it. She couldn't not not answer now. He would know she was lying, especially if Kenobi betrayed her trust and told him, but she didn't believe Obi-Wan would do that. If something was amiss, she couldn't let her suspicions show.

"Things like using the Force to create a life, healing mortal wounds, cutting someone off from the Force, anything that would alter the flow of the Force." Sahrea opened her mouth to keep talking, but shut it as Skywalker's wrist beeped. He scowled at it, like he could make the council's summon disappear if he glared hard enough. It kept blinking. Shan, satisfied with her clean weapons, stood up.

"We'll walk and talk."

\---

Shan caught Kenobi's eye from the top of the stairs. Skywalker was ascending to the council chamber as his master began to come down. They caught each other's attention, exchanged a hello, gave a laugh, and continued in their opposite directions. As soon as Anakin was past, Obi-Wan's face became serious.

"What's troubling you?" he asked as a way of hello. She shifted her weight from her left foot to her right. She looked up at him.

"Did you tell anyone about the Abominations of the Force?" she responded, her voice low. Kenobi gave her a concerned look. "No, only Master Yoda and Mace. Why?" Sahrea looked away. "Just wondering." she said. Kenobi dropped a hand on her shoulder. Her eyes met his. They had an unspoken conversation. He knew something was off. He didn't press it though.

Maybe she should have told Kenobi about her conversation with Skywalker. That, coupled with his odd behavior lately, was unsettling. But she felt she needed more information before she brought her concerns to anyone. Obi-Wan rubbed her shoulder gently with his thumb before pulling his hand away. They began to step up the stairs.

"I see you were with Anakin earlier." he said nonchalantly. It was accompanied by a side look. A knowing look. She flashed a look back, her robes fluttering around her knees from the draft.

"Yea, I was." she said. There was something unspoken between them, something they both noticed, but didn't want to say. It had to be spoken though. Shan bit the blaster bolt and said it.

"Have you noticed Anakin acting oddly as of late?" she asked. The relaxing of his face told her he did. "Yes, I have noticed. In fact, I even stopped by to speak to Padme Amidala earlier this morning about it." Kenobi said. Well that sat awkwardly with her. Shan brushed it off before it could balloon into something else. "She thinks that it's just stress. Coruscant was attacked, the Chancellor, who Anakin is quite close to, was kidnapped. He killed Count Dooku." the Jedi said as they reached the top of the stairs. He sighed. "I'm worried about him." Shan touched his elbow gently. "We all are." she replied. Kenobi turned his face to her, so close they shared a breath.

"The council awaits." he said. She nodded and stepped back. "We will talk later." He gave her a small smile before heading for the council chamber. The grin looked forced. She exhaled through her nose. Dooku was dead, Coruscant was safe, they had found Grievous. Everything was going right.

If everything was turning up Republic, why did things seem the worst they had ever been?

Sahrea Shan shook her head and descended down the stairs quickly. She passed a Rodian Jedi padawan as she turned a corner, lost in her thoughts. At the last moment, she saw a person in front of her. She dodged quickly and they both switched places.

"I'm so sorry!" Shan said to the Togruta female that she had almost smacked into. She looked to be in her late teens. Her skin was a vibrant orange with white tattoos and deep blue lips. She was wearing blue and grey armor. Two sabers hung at her waist. Her large eyes were fixed on the Gray.

"You're fine." she said. The Togruta examined her curiously. "I don't think we've met before." she said. The Palatial Elder stuck out her hand. "My name is Sahrea Shan." she introduced. The woman made a face of realization. "I thought that you may have been the Gray Jedi Rex keeps talking about. I'm Ahsoka Tano." They shook hands. "I've heard about you. Obi-Wan speaks highly of you." Shan said. "I'm also sorry about what happened with the council. That took a lot of strength to walk away." Tano looked distant. She grabbed her left elbow. "It's in the past." she replied simply. "I don't know what you planned on doing after the war, but you should talk to my brother Lano on Iveria. You have the makings of a Gray Jedi." Shan said. Ahsoka gave her a smile. "Thank you for the offer Sahrea, but I'm not looking for a new order right now." she responded. Shan nodded. "I understand. But please know, we are a friend to all Force users. Don't hesitate to stop by if you're ever in trouble." she replied. Tano nodded. "I have to meet with the council to discuss Mandalore. It was nice meeting you Sahrea." she said. "You too Ahsoka."

\---

"So you guys are leaving for Utapau?" Shan asked as she stepped next to Commander Cody. His helmet was tucked under his arm, revealing the face of Jango Fett, with the alteration of a short haircut and scar down the side of his face. He turned to her.

"Yea. They got wind that General Grievous was there, so we're gonna go check it out." the Ghost Company Commander said. He scratched his cheek.

"And we'll probably get all the way there just to find out its a rumor." Obi-Wan Kenobi's voice came from behind them. Shan turned to face him. He had switched from his clone type armor to traditional Jedi robes a few weeks ago, but it still struck her each time they met how handsome he looked in them. He gave her a bearded smile. Sahrea turned away to find the warmth in her cheeks. She was glad that her hair was down. Once the tingling dissipated from her face, she turned back to Kenobi.

"You're off to Kamino?" the general asked. Shan tucked the front of her long, white-blonde hair behind her ear. "Yes I am. My boys are going to have to have all the Grievous-hunting fun without me." she joked. Kenobi smiled at her. "I'm proud of you Sahrea. You have come far." he said. "This Kamino assignment is quite the honor, but the big accomplishment is gaining Mace Windu's trust." He crossed his arms. "Or, as much trust as he's willing to give. He doesn't fully trust anyone." Shan smirked. "So I've noticed."

"If you don't mind Consult," Cody started, "I'm going to be sending a convoy of men with you." Shan turned to him. "Aww, thank you Commander." He gave her a smile. "I had one man in particular who volunteered to go with you." he said. Shan cocked her head at him. "Really?"

"Well of course, you can't get rid of me that easily." Sahrea turned around. "Ice, I should have guessed." She was pleased he was tagging along. It would be nice to have a friend with her. The clones may all share the same face, but were far from being the same people.

"Yup! We're getting ready to go now Consult." Shan looked to Cody and Obi-Wan. "Well I have a stop to make before I leave, so I'm going to head out now. Good luck and be safe you two." she said. She caught Kenobi's eye. "Goodbye Sahrea. We'll see you when we return, hopefully with General Grievous." "One way or another." Cody added. "Ice, hang back a minute." the commander said. Shan started heading back down the hallway. She saw Skywalker walking her way.

"Hey Anakin." she said pleasantly. He made eye contact with her and looked away wordlessly. Shan lifted an eyebrow. "Ahem?" He stopped next to her.

"So I can't be a Gray, but Ahsoka can?" he asked, voice low and dangerous. Her mood darkened. "Watch yourself, Jedi." she growled back. "Ahsoka has proven herself. You have not. I am the Palatial Elder. Do not tell me how to run my order." she bit back, her voice dripping with venom. He shook his head and stalked off.


	17. The Interlude Pt. 5

Tipoca City was beautiful. It was clean and streamlined, like a state-of-the-art cruiser. It was white, bright, and shiny. The sleek hallways were filled with clones and Kaminoans alike. There were young cadets, troopers in training, and the toughest clone commanders Shan had ever met overseeing training. 

Despite its beauty, the cloning facility still held the scars of the failed Separatists invasion. There were holes in the in the ceilings. Some where patched up quickly to keep the rain out. Others had been fully repaired, the damage unnoticeable. The hallways were pockmarked with charred blaster holes. Some only had one or two. Others were half white, half black from the damage. There were still some charred floors and twisted plasteel from grenades. These were all superficial reminders. The deepest scar ran in the morale of the inhabitants. There was a heaviness here, mourning and grief. There was also fear and anger, like a cornered animal. That was what happened when someone attacked your home. She still carried those traits in her heart. 

She was shown the cloning chambers and training wings, the dorms and mess halls. She met more Kaminoans than she could count. She met X. X was cloning mistake turned advantage. The clone was the sixth to be born as a female. The other five come to term before the war had begun. X, however, was young enough to be trained. So she became a Republic spy that most of the Jedi generals didn't even know about. Shan had only met her in passing, because she had a mission to complete. The other women were somewhere throughout the city.

The outside of the facility was eternally dark and stormy, a never ending torrent of rain like walls, crashing waves, and swirling clouds. There was a constant roar in the background. The waves below them were constantly in motion, giving the planet a restless edge that kept Shan on her toes. 

All this being said, it got very boring, very quickly.

Shan figured if she had been here permanently, it would be more interesting. There would be clone training to oversee, squadrons to pass or fail, combat regiments to create. She would be given duties, things to do on the daily. But, since she was simply the interim overseer, her job was basically to make sure no one blew up the facility during her watch. Fun.

"I win!" Ice shouted, smacking a hand excitedly on the holochess table. She didn't know why he was so happy about winning; he had won five of their eight matches, which also meant this was his third win in a row. She had always been terrible at Dejarik.

Ice brushed a hand over the top of his mop of white hair, grinning like a madman, as Shan leaned her head against the back of the chair. Her feet were propped up on an abandoned seat. The trooper had healed completely since his encounter with Tal Rhona. He also ended up with a wicked scar over his upper rib cage that he loved to show off. Rhona missed his heart by an inch.

Shan picked up one of her crackers and tossed it at him. He slid down in his sesat and caught it easily in his mouth. He gave a chuckle as he chewed. This is what they and the rest of their squad had done since they landed. Gheo, ever curious, was studying up on a few new worlds. Shan had told him to read up on Arazadel. It was a very interesting planet. Varo was napping on the couch on the opposite side of the room. Serak was cleaning his blaster for the seventh time. They all had been fighting in battle after battle for so long now, they even longer than her. It was hard to adjust to the quiet. Her wrist beeped.

"Consult Shan, we have received a transmission from General Windu." the Kaminoan named Taun We said on the opposite end of her comm. Shan stretched before responding. "Thanks, I'll come up now."

\---

When she stepped into the darkened room, the first thing Shan saw was a grim looking Mace Windu staring holographically at her. He was sitting a councilman's chair, elbows on his knees. Her heart hit the floor. Did something happen to Obi-Wan on Utapau? She swallowed, but that didn't stop her hands from shaking.

"Hello Master Windu. You summoned me?" she greeted pleasantly. She tucked her hands behind her back to hide their trembling. Windu was so still, she thought that perhaps the signal had gotten interrupted and the image was actually frozen, but then he sat up straight.

"Yes. I have news from Utapau." he said, his voice even. His demeanor was seriously freaking her out. She squeezed her hands together to release some of her stress. Please don't be Obi-Wan, please don't be Obi-Wan... Mace took a breath.

"Grievous is dead. Killed by Master Kenobi." he said. Her jaw dropped. Grievous was dead? If he was killed, why did Windu look so stern? He looked like he was giving her bad news instead of good. That was extreme even for him.

"That being said," the Jedi Master continued. She was getting more stressed by the minute, rather than less. Shan kept expecting him to drop a big bomb on her. "Master Shaak Ti is going to be needed on Coruscant a little longer than expected. When she returns to Kamino, you will head to Kashyyyk to help drive the remaining Separatist forces off the planet." Sahrea finally found her voice. 

"Yes sir." she wavered a moment, going back and forth on whether or not she should ask Windu about his troubled demeanor. She landed on yes. "Is everything alright? This is supposed to be good news." she joked. Mace sighed. "It is good news. Things should be looking up, but yet things feel darker than they ever have." he said. So Windu felt it too. Shan gave him a sympathetic look. "I have noticed that as well." There was something he wasn't telling her. The Jedi nodded. "Things are not as they appear Consult. We will speak again soon." She nodded as Windu dissipated into nothing. Grievous was dead. She had to tell Lano.

\---

Shan had tried to reach her brother multiple times without answer, so in the meantime, she, Ice, and the rest of the squad went to get a bite to eat in the mess hall. The second she stepped in, Sahrea felt every eye turn to her and flick away quickly. It must be weird to see a new face when everyone shared the same one. She grabbed some food before sitting down. It was some kind of Kaminoan squid-like meat. It was rubbery, but good. Ice slammed his tray down happily in front of her, making his squid jump. The clone was grinning ear to ear.

"The head clanker is scrap metal!" he shouted as he sat down. He shoved a forkful of the squid in his mouth. Shan took a small bite. That was the only news from Utapau she had received. She knew that Obi-Wan, Cody, and the rest of Ghost Company were still purging the rest of the droids, but that's all she was told. And to make things worse, Windu was acting more serious than usual and had disappeared on some mission she was not informed about. A pit formed in her stomach. She couldn't eat. She pushed herself up.

"I'll be back." she muttered. "I'm gonna try contacting my brother again." This was half true. She did want to tell Lano about Grievous. She also wanted to walk off her anxiety and Lano would be the only person who could make her feel better right now. Ice mumbled in acknowledgement as he shoveled in the rest of his food. The Gray left the mess and headed towards the nearest communication station. Her body was numb with anxiety. It was like everything she had been taught about attachments had gone out the window. She had witnessed the death of her family and order. She should be able to handle this. Why couldn't she handle this? She felt the urge to sprint until she collapsed. She didn't.

Instead Shan stopped in the middle of the hallway and turned to the door on her left. There was nothing particular about this door. It was made of the same white plasteel as the rest of the facility. There was no name, no number, no markings. It had nothing to make it stand out, yet Sahrea found herself walking forward and pressing her fingertips to it. She tapped the panel. It opened.

The lights flickered on inside to reveal a barren room. Everything was covered in dust. The navy blankets of the bunk beds were neatly made. A closet sat on her right. The doors were open. Nothing was inside. Sahrea made a pensive face.

"Looking for something?" a female Kaminoan said behind her. Shan turned around. "Umm, not exactly." she replied vaguely. Her eyebrows pulled together. "Who's room is this?" she asked before stepping out of the dorm. The female blinked her great, dark eyes at her. "Not is, was." she answered simply. "It was the quarters of Jango Fett." Jango Fett. The clone donor. The Gray stepped forward as the door shut behind her. Shan thought it odd that out of all the rooms in the facility, this was the one she was drawn to. What did that mean? Shan gave her a smile to hide the whirring of her mind.

"Thank you. I was just curious." the Kaminoan tilted her head. "You're the Gray Jedi, aren't you?" she mused. Sahrea nodded. "Yes. I'm Sahrea Shan." The female dipped her long neck. "I am Pahma Qi." she introduced. Shan gave her a smile. "It's nice to meet you. I have to go now though. I have a transmission to send." Qi smiled. "Good luck Gray." she said.

Shan left Qi and made her way down the hallway, putting all thought of Jango Fett aside. She made a right into the nearby comm room. Inside, there were six clones at a terminal, all seated in a row. She stepped in. She gasped as her entire body was overcome with freezing sensation. It encompassed her whole being, even her mind. Everything was lagging, her thoughts, her heart, even her vision looked like it was in slow motion. She couldn't breathe. Then everything got dark.


	18. The Interlude Pt. 6

Sahrea woke, choking down air. She took large, wheezing gulps. There were two clones standing above her. It took her a moment to realize what had happened.

"Consult!" one of the troopers said, a hand on her shoulder. He looked extremely alarmed. He helped her sit forward,e. Her was head pounding, either from whatever made her pass out, hitting her head after passing out, or both. There was pressure, like her brain felt too big for her skull. She was also very cold, even though a moment before she was at a comfortable temperature. "Are you alright?" he asked her gently. She squeezed the bridge of her nose. "Not really." she answered truthfully. The clone put a hand under her arm and lifted to her feet. She held onto him for a moment before releasing. A command came over the console. It was one she didn't recognize. The voice sounded unfamiliar as well, but that may have been from her aching head.

"What the hell is Order 66?" she asked grumpily, a hand to her aching head. Master Windu had made her memorize dozens of operations, code names, and attack patterns, but this one she had never even heard of. She looked up at him slowly through a lock of loose hair. The clone made a funny face at her. Then he lifted a blaster off the console. Her eyes went wide.

"Trooper..." she growled threateningly. He didn't react. He raised the weapon his finger tightened on the trigger. Shan shot her hand out and wrenched the pistol out of his hand. She kicked his stomach and he stumbled back.

"What the hell!" she yelled angrily, tugging the ammo clip free. She slammed it and the unloaded weapon onto the floor. Sahrea looked to the other five clones. All were glaring at her with the same murderous glare. They got up. She stepped back. Her back was to the wall.

"Stand down troopers!" she shouted, her voice hoarse with fear. She had been through a lot in the last few months. She had been marooned on a dead planet, been infected by the Rakghoul Disease, and almost stabbed by a former Sith Lord among many, many other things. None of the terrified her like this. This was beyond all of those things. The other five pulled out blaster pistols. Shan's breaths came in panicked heaves. Her vision became spotty. She Force pushed them into the opposite wall as hard as she could. Three collapsed and didn't get back up. The other two sat up groggily. Shan picked up a nearby crate using the Force and dropped it on their backs. They were pinned down and didn't make an attempt to stand up again. She looked to the console, gripping the collar of her tunic with her shaking hands. There was a man in a shadowy cloak. He repeated the command again.

"Execute Order 66."

A blinking light suddenly flashed to life underneath it. Shan selected the button, her trembling finger almost missing it. The cloaked figure was replaced by a list. She looked at it with wide, confused eyes.

KI-ADI MUNDI: DEAD

She blinked, staring at the sentence. Her brain couldn't process what she was seeing. She moved to the second one.

LUMINARA UNDULI: DEAD

She looked at the third. And fourth. And fifth.

MACE WINDU: MIA

PLO KOON: DEAD

SHAAK TI: DEAD

She was completely dumbstruck. What was she looking at? These Jedi... they were dead? How? Who killed them? Why was there a list? And why did the clones attack her? She kept reading. The more she looked, the more the knot in her stomach tightened. She put a hand to her mouth.

ANAKIN SKYWALKER: DEAD

A tear slipped down her cheek. There were hundreds of names on this list. She skimmed for ones that were MIA or ones she knew.

AHSOKA TANO: DEAD

A blur of names.

CALEB DUME: MIA

AAYLA SECURA: DEAD

CAL KESTIS= MIA

Her shaking had migrated as she scanned. It was now in her chest, in her stomach, in her throat. She kept searching. That's what this had become. A search. There was one name she hadn't seen.

YODA: MIA

PLO KOON: DEAD

KYWA BERESK: MIA

More names. Her heart stopped.

SAHREA SHAN: MIA

She stared at her name. She was on this list. Why was she on this list? Her heart was pounding. Was that why the clones attacked her? Someone wanted her dead? Things didn't add up though. If the clones were out to kill Jedi, why didn't they take her out her when she had gone unconscious? It would have been much easier and safer for them than waiting until she woke up, yet they didn't take advantage. She scrolled down more.

KIT FISTO: DEAD

TERA SINUBE: DEAD

She stopped. There was the name. She bit her tongue. She had to know.

OBI-WAN KENOBI: MIA

This knowledge changed nothing. In fact, this is what broke her. She began to sob. She knew MIA was not the same as alive. MIA just meant missing. He could be dead somewhere on Utapau and she would never know. He could be dying this very moment. He could go into hiding and she would never see him again. She heard the door slide open behind her. She turned around. The draft that accompanied it blew icily against her damp cheeks.

"What is going on?" she asked, composing herself. She wiped her damp cheeks. "What is Order 66? What is this list?" Her friend cocked his head at the question. Something wasn't right with him, the way his head moved. The look in his eye. The wrongness of his aura. He did feel like himself. Ice narrowed his eyes at her before letting off a shot from his pistol. Shan didn't even remember dodging it. It was pure instinct that saved her.

"Ice, please stop! Why are you doing this?" she pleaded. She took her silver saber out and slashed the door panel so no one else could enter. Ice used the distraction to grab her throat.

"I must kill the Jedi." he replied coolly. He didn't sound anything like his usual self. She reached down and knocked her purple colored hilt off her belt. She grabbed it through the Force. She sent it straight into the side of Ice's head. He recoiled back, dropping her. She didn't want to hurt him, especially since she this wasn't him. She could sense it.

"I'm not a Jedi though! You know this!" she countered, her anxiety surging once again. If he was brainwashed, she may be able to confuse him enough for him to snap out of it.

"Remember Nar Shaddaa, Canarath, Taris, Dantooine!" she begged. "Tal Rhona on the Ro-Ti Mundi!" he lunged at her. Shan grabbed his wrists, his face only a few inches from hers. "We are friends Ice." she cried. He stared into her eyes. The snarl left his face. He relaxed. He shook his head and stepped back.

"But... I have to... he..." the trooper muttered. He leaned over and put a hand to his forehead. "I am not a Jedi. Would you kill Dooku?" she asked him, heart pounding. Ice stepped back, looking confused and uncertain. She snapped her head to the right as clones began banging on the door. He looked at her, a pleading look in his eyes. He didn't want to hurt her. He had to kill her. She swallowed and reached out a hand to her friend. Tears slipped down her cheeks.

"Are you with me or against me Ice?"


End file.
